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“The Conch shell is something myself and a lot of Hindu Indians and Buddhist people have grown up listening to. It’s an object that’s found in most places of Hindu and Buddhist worship.

The sound from the Conch shell has been used for more than one purpose. Traditionally, ‘til today, it’s mainly used in a purpose similar to a church bell, for example, in this part of the world. It is to let people know that there is a religious service going on, or some form of religious ritual taking place in a temple, or even in a household. It’s also used for lots of happy occasions within the community, at a more personal level. For example, in weddings, in little ceremony when a child is weaned at six months, where the rest of the family get together and there are little rituals around the child, the Conch shell can be heard. It is heard on a daily basis in some households, in the morning and at dusk. So, as children, when we went out to play, the sound of the Conch shell in the evening would mean it’s home time; so it was more like an alarm clock to us!

[During] Durga Puja, which is one of our biggest religious festivals, we blow the Conch shell during the services when they’re happening, but sometimes there’s a fun element to the use of this Conch shell. As children we always saw in the evenings there would be a competition about who could blow the Conch shell for the longest duration; and that gave a lot of fun and competitive spirit among the children, and mainly the women, but also sometimes men. Sometimes the men were much better than the women at it, very surprisingly!