Dear Carol.
The Indian chank is, like most shells, VERY occasionally left-handed,
and as such, it is portrayed as the shell in one of the hands of Shiva.
Because of their sacredness and natural rarity, these are extremely
expensive. The adult, white, female Busycon contraria is
a very close substitute for the "Sacred Chank", and can therefore bring
a fairly high price in Hindu communities.
Mariah
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