I was always fascinated by reading of conch shells that were blown in the battles described in Mahabharata. They seemed to be an important weapon like a mount or a bow.
Thankfully, in real life, I heard them only in temples and a couple of homes.
When did they travel from slaughter-grounds to sanctum-sanctorums?
Are they mentioned in the ancient literature describing battles from outside India?
Each conch had a distinct sound. Like Louis Armstrong's horn sounds different from that of Miles Davis.
"...Krishna blew His conch, Paanchajanya;
Arjuna blew his conch, Devadatta;
And Bheema, the doer of formidable deeds,
Blew (his) big conch, Paundra.
The son of Kunti, King Yudhishthira,
Blew (his conch) Anantavijaya,
While Nakula and Sahadeva
Blew Sughosha and Manipushpaka conches, respectively..."
If you read Marathi, read a page from Vinoba Bhave's विनोबा भावे lyrical Geetai गीताई:
(double click on the picture to get a larger view)
[btw- As on January 2009, Geetai has sold 38,57,000 copies!]
Interestingly, I have never come across conches in battlefields of Ramayana. I wonder why.
Alas, there are no pictures of conch shells from those days.
CORNELIA DEAN has written a wonderful essay on seashells for The New York Times July 12 2010.
courtesy: “The Book of Shells” by M. G. Harasewych and Fabio Moretzsohn
Matchless Cone (Conus cedonulli) was one of the rarest shells in the 18th century. In 1796 a specimen brought more than six times as much as a painting by Vermeer that was sold at the same auction. It is still considered rare to uncommon, and it is prized by collectors for its beautiful pattern. With the advent of scuba diving, it is now found more often. All cone shells are venomous and should be handled with care when alive. The venom of C. cedonulli is not fatal to humans, but its sting may still be painful.