The Southward or Dakshinavarti Shankh is a conch that naturally opens to the right instead of the left. Only a tiny number form this way in nature, which is why it is treasured as the conch of Goddess Lakshmi.
Hold it with the tip pointing up & the opening facing you — a real Dakshinavarti opens on the right. It feels heavy & porcelain-smooth. Light weight, a warm plastic feel or grinding marks near the mouth mean a fake.
No. The Dakshinavarti Shankh is a worship conch, not a blowing conch. It is kept in the temple, filled with water during prayer & used for sprinkling blessings — blowing is done with a regular left-opening shankh.
Place it on a clean red cloth in your home temple, or beside your cash locker or counter. Keep it upright on its stand, handle it with washed hands, & light a lamp near it on Fridays.
Bathe it in holy water & raw milk, place it at the centre of your altar, fill it with water during the puja & sprinkle that water through the home. The guidance card with your order explains each step.
