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SHANKA Shanka in Sanskrit, the conch shell has survived as the original trumpet since time immemorial. It is also an Buddhist ‘Ashtamangala’ symbol. Ancient Indian epics describe how each hero of mythical warfare carried a mighty white conch shell. It is one of the main emblems of Vishnu and his conch called ‘Panchajanya', meaning 'having control over the five classes of beings. Arjuna's mighty conch was known as Devadatta. It is an emblem of power, authority and sovereignty whose blast is believed to banish evil spirits, avert natural disasters and scare away poisonous creatures. The conch is used in Buddhism to call religious assemblies and rituals. Ancient Indian belief the thicker-shelled bulbous one is thought to be the male ‘purusha’ and the thin-shelled slender conch to be the female ‘shankhini’. The smooth white conch represents the brahmin, the red the kshatriyas, the yellow the vaishyas and the grey conch the shudras. Conch shells are also divided on the ba

NIDHANA KUMBHA Nidhana Kumbha in Sanskrit, is one of the Buddhist ‘Ashtamangala’ symbols. ‘The Treasure Vase’ is a fat-bellied vessel with a short, slim neck. On top, at the opening, there is a large jewel indicating that it is a treasure vase. Its symbolic meaning was almost always associated with the ideas of storage and the satisfaction of material desires. In the sagas and fairytales of many different cultures, for example, there is the recurring idea of an inexhaustible vessel. Physically, the ‘vase of inexhaustible treasures’ is modelled on the traditional Indian clay water pot or kumbha with a flat base, round body, narrow neck and fluted upper rim. However much is removed from it, this vase remains perpetually full. Wealth vases, sealed with precious and sacred substances are commonly placed upon altars and on mountain passes or buried at water springs, where their presence is believed to attract wealth and bring harmony to the environment. In relation to Buddhism it spe

SUVARNAMATSYA Suvarnamatsya in Sanskrit, is one of the Buddhists' Eight Auspicious Signs - ‘Ashtamangala'. The pair of golden fish (‘gSer.nya’ in Tibetan) that generally symbolize happiness. This symbol consists of two fish, which usually appear standing vertically with heads turned inwards towards each other. The pair of fish originated as an ancient pre-Buddhist symbol of the two sacred rivers of India, Ganga and Yamuna. Symbolically, these two rivers represent the lunar and solar channels, which which originate in the nostrils and carry the alternating rhythms of breath or prana. In Buddhism, the golden fish symbolize happiness, as they have complete freedom in water. They represent fertility and abundance as they multiply very rapidly. Fish often swim in pairs and in China they represented conjugal unity and fidelity, where a pair of fish would often be given as a wedding present. Essentially, the golden fish is an aspirational symbol, teaching man that the spiritual