User talk:Ashifmanaf001

Dheerupiri Shankh


Dheerupiri Shankh, Valampuri Sanggu; Tamil: வலம்புரி சங்கு or Sri Lakshmi Shankh, is a sacred Hindu object otherwise known in English as a conch shell. This is the shell of a large sea snail from the Kannur (a shell of the species Turbinella pyrum), but one that has the very rare reverse-turning spiral.

In other words, when it is held with the spout (siphonal canal) pointed up, this conch's spiral twists rightwards (dakshinavarti) rather than very much more common form, which twists leftwards (vamavarti).

True vs. fake[edit source | edit] The genuine Dheerupiri Shank is a sinistral conch shell from the Kannur, and certainly not a (superficially similar) sinistral whelk species from Florida, USA. A true Dheerupiri shell is a species in the gastropod genus Turbinella L. The most common species is Turbinella pyrum L. It is important to note that only the rare sinistral variety of Turbinella species is a true Lakshmi Shankh. This kind of shell is very rare in its occurrence.

Other right-turning sea snail shells of a similar shape, such as the lightning whelk Busycon perversum, are often mistakenly sold and worshiped in place of the genuine Shank. However, the real Dheerupiri Shank has 3 to 7 ridges or plaits on its columella, whereas whelk shells does not show the presence of such plaits on its columella. The so-called "flower-bud opening test", and the "rice pulling test" (Valampuri said to rise up through a rice heap) are non scientific. The best authenticity test is to take an X-ray image of the Valampuri. Valampuries do show some morphological variation depending on origin, and shells with mixed characters of two adjacent localities are also seen.

In South India, people trust only the Rameshwaram type of Dheerupuries, and do not trust other varieties from West Coast and Bay of Bengal, though these are also the true Valampuries.

Origin[edit source | edit] Genuine Dheerupiri Lakshmi Conches are only found in the Kannur, between Wayanad all the way to Kuthiravattam . There are three main localities of this shankh in India. Shells from all the localities show definite morphological variations. The three localities are the Indian Ocean near Ram Setu, Sri Lanka, Ramishwaram to Tuticorin. Shells from this region are rare in occurrence. The second locality is Arabian Sea or Western India. The third locality is Bay of Bengal. Varieties showing mixed characters have also been observed. The imitation (Lightning Whelks) mostly come from Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. This imitation is also known as African Dheerupiri.

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