April 13, 1998

A passionate collector of conches attributes divine power to the shells.

By Amarnath K Menon

At first glance it looks like the marine life section of a museum: a poorly-lit room with rows of large conches placed on steel plates, arranged neatly on grey racks. But a closer look reveals these are no ordinary conches: each has a vermilion mark and bears a distinct number. And their owner, 60-year-old Devi Madhava Reddy, is no curator. He is in fact someone who believes that the conches have the power to ward off evil and harnesses this power to help his 5,000 followers.

It all started nearly 25 years ago when Reddy came across a rare right-spiralled conch during a visit to Varanasi. Intrigued, he began to find out more about the shells. "The study of conches came as an intuitive idea to me and I realised that nobody had done this before," says the collector. Reddy was so consumed with his new interest that he gave up journalism, law and social work to concentrate on collecting unique conches. Today, he has collected 1,008 pieces of right-spiralled conches -- also known as dakshinaavruta shankham or valampuri shankhu -- and treats them as "the sacred symbol of God's true grace". The collection is on view free of charge for "faithful" visitors at his home in Hyderabad.

After much research on conches and having spent time on their study, conchology, Reddy believes that the shells have the power to ward off evil spirits. But, strange as it may seem, he is not alone in his passion. His followers too believe that owning even one of these special conches would prove more effective than any talisman.

These rare conches haven't been easy to find. Reddy had to contact fishermen in various countries to acquire his collection of 1,500 conches. To finance his project, he had to sell a portion of his property -- spending between Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 to buy a single piece. At the same time, he studied Hindu theology to develop insights into his brand of conchology. Believers who do not possess these coveted shells -- including high-profile politicians like Congress leader Arjun Singh -- invite Reddy to bring his collection and conduct special pujas at their homes. "It brings mental peace and prosperity," says former Madhya Pradesh housing and environment minister Vishnu Rajoria, who claims his printing and publishing businesses began to record bigger profits after he took to conch worship.

Reddy's pujas are elaborate ceremonies performed with 108 conches arranged in 12 rows representing the 12 signs of the Zodiac, accompanied by shlokas "to induce positive changes in the environment". Says Hemangi Vallabh, co-owner of an architect firm in Bhopal: "Shankham puja offers tremendous satisfaction and creates energy for the spiritually oriented." Others believe it revitalises businesses and propels industrial units. Reddy claims the sacred conch can also minimise the negative effects of pollution and even destroy the other evil forces at the end of the Kalyug.

"The conch is a positive influence that brings tranquillity to be experienced individually -- a mystique that cannot be proved easily by science," says Reddy. He explains that each conch has a unique vibration and "the vibrations collectively offer solace". To prove his theory, the collector has given scientists a few of his conches so that they too can study the impact of their vibrations on the human mind.

Although his collection of right-spiralled conches is worthy of an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records as most serious collectors only have a handful, Reddy does not think of it as a personal achievement. "This is no mere act of man," he says. "It is the divine will of God." Not surprisingly, he is reluctant to accept invitations from politicians who expect instant results. "They live by telling lies and do damage to society," he argues, pointing out that it will be impossible for them to gain from the positive effects of conch worship. However potent, no talisman can work its charm in the absence of true faith.

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