About the product:

🛕 Name/Type: Conch/ Dun/ Shankha - engraved with the OMPH prayer* - Sacred instrument whose origins date back to ancient India, long before the Buddhist era

🌍 Origin: Nepal

🕰️ Year: 2020 Estimate

📐 ⚖️ Dimensions: Approximately 18 x 8 x 8 centimeters

⚖️ Weight: ± 685 grams

🧬 Material: Seashell (Turbinella pyrum)

💫 Color: pearly

✨ Care instructions: Clean gently, avoid excessive moisture, and polish gently if necessary.

📦 Packaging: Individually wrapped in paper

🎁 Ideal as a gift or a treat for yourself!

🛕 History and symbolism

The conch shell, or dungkar in Tibetan, is a sacred ritual instrument whose origins date back to ancient India, long before the Buddhist era.

In the Vedas (Hindu sacred texts, around 1500 BC), the conch shell — called śaṅkha — was used as a ceremonial trumpet to call upon the gods, announce battles or celebrate spiritual victories.

With the spread of Tantric Buddhism (Vajrayana) from the 7th century onwards, this instrument was integrated and transformed into a symbol of peace and awakening.

Instead of announcing war, the Buddhist conch now proclaims the voice of the Dharma, that is, the teaching of the Buddha which resonates in the ten directions of the world to awaken all beings.

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📯 Function and ritual use

In Tibetan monasteries, the conch shell is used as a sacred musical instrument:

• It is used to announce ceremonies and to gather monks for prayer or meditation.
• It accompanies sound offerings and tantric rituals, especially those dedicated to Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig) or Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava).
• Its deep, resonant sound is believed to purify the space, dispel negative energies, and awaken spiritual consciousness.

In some monasteries, a distinction is made:

• The large conch shell, blown from the rooftops during public rituals.
• The small, richly decorated ritual conch shell, used on the altar as a symbolic offering object.

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💎 Spiritual symbolism

The conch shell is one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism ( Ashtamangala ), alongside the endless knot, the lotus, the wheel of Dharma, the victory banner, the vase, the fish, and the parasol.

It symbolizes:

The clear, deep sound of the conch shell is considered a purifying vibration: it dissolves ignorance and opens the heart to right understanding.

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🔁 Symbolism of the conch shell turning to the right

One very important detail distinguishes the Buddhist conch shell:
It is often coiled to the right ( dakshina-varta shankha ), unlike the majority of natural conches, which coil to the left.

This rare form is highly sacred, as it symbolizes:

• The movement of the sun and planets according to the positive cosmic direction.
• The whirlwind of Dharma unfolding in the world.
• The movement of the human heart towards compassion.

Thus, the conch shell turning to the right represents the awakened speech of the Buddha, always beneficial and harmonious.

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⚒️ Manufacturing and decoration

Tibetan ritual conch shells are often:

• Polished and hollowed out to produce a harmonious sound.
• Adorned with finely chiseled silver, gilt copper or brass mounts.
• Decorated with precious stones (turquoise, coral, lapis lazuli), symbolizing light, compassion and wisdom.
• Engraved with mantras like Om Mani Padme Hum , amplifying their spiritual power.

Some conch shells, too precious to be blown, are placed on the altar as permanent sound offerings.

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🌺 The conch shell in iconographic representations

In Buddhist iconography:

• Shakyamuni Buddha and the bodhisattvas of speech (notably Manjushri) are sometimes depicted holding a conch shell.
• The protective deities use the conch shell as an instrument to proclaim the victory of Dharma over ignorance.
• In tantric mandalas, it appears in the corners, representing the harmonious diffusion of wisdom in the four directions.

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🕊️ Conclusion

The Buddhist conch shell (Dungkar) is much more than an instrument:
She is the voice of the Buddha, the breath of the Dharma, and the living symbol of inner awakening.

Its pure and vibrant sound reminds everyone that truth is not imposed, but spreads naturally, like a wave of compassion that travels through the world.

"The sound of the conch shell awakens not warriors, but consciences."