Valampuri Lakshmi Shank - REAL & BOGUS

[Guest guest]

Namaste!!!

 

This evening we met with an expert Lakshmi Shank collector who is going

tomorrow to Valampuri to purchase another shell. It seems like a small

world with Valampuri collectors, because most Valampuri owners like to

keep it a secret. And the others are fooled into buying or owning the

bogus Lakshmi Shank (a Lightning Whelk).

 

Almost all of the people who sell so-called Valampuri are cheating by

selling Lighning Whelk shells. And even many temples are also fooled

into using Lightning Whelk shells, thinking wrongly that they are real

Valampuri (Dakshinvarti Turbinella Pyrum) Shank.

 

The first and foremost qualification of a Valampuri Shank is that it

must be a "Shank" (Sanghu) a Conch Shell, not any other kind of shell

like a Whelk. In Thailand only the Vishnu King and Royalty are allowed

to own a Valampuri, so private collectors in Siam mostly keep it quiet.

 

It seems from experience that about 98% of Valampuri owners have been

cheated into buying a Lightning Whelk. Real Valampuri is a Shank, and

has 3-7 "ridges" seen in the conch cavity. Attached is a photo showing

a real Valampuri next to a bogus one. You can see the bogus one has no

ridges in the conch cavity.

 

Real Indian Valampuri Lakshmi Conch shells cost between Rs 1,000 to Rs.

3,000 per gram, depending on size, type and quality. Normal, left

handed conch shells sell for about Rs 1 per gram (thousand times

cheaper).

 

Even a normal left-handed Shank (conch), also being related to Lakshmi

Devi, is better than a North American "Lighning Whelk". Please. Don't

be fooled!!!

 

BTW: We do NOT sell Valampuri, but we know of others who do.

 

Best regards

http://richardshawbrown.com

 

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