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blowing chank in temple worship is to scare away hostile 
and evil-working spirits. This is a reasonable belief as 
there is little or no doubt that the chank was used 
originally as a horn or trumpet by tribes holding animis- 
tic beliefs prior to the development of the Brahman 
religion which appears to have adopted the use of the 
chank in religious ceremonies together with many other 
rites from the devil- -fearing tribes who gradually came 
into the fold of the new and higher religious belief. 
In this connection should be mentioned the custom 
which prevails largely in Bengal of keeping blowing 
chanks in the houses of the better class people for use 
imeamily, worship. Mri yA. Ry Banerjr, 1C.S.,: the 
present Dewan of Cochin State, informs me that it isa 
general custom in Bengal to turn out with these shells 
during eclipses and earthquakes and to keep up a con- 
tinuous blowing till the eclipse or earthquake be over. 
A rather striking effect is produced when the chank 
is used in temple ritual as a sort of rhythmical accom- 
paniment, when it plays the part of kannagolu or 
talavinyasa.* 
In Hindu temples the four daily services take 
place before dawn, at noon, at sunset, and at 9 or 10 P.M. 
At these times the Ochchans, the caste entrusted 
solely in the Tamil country with the duty of chank- 
blowing in temples, announce the commencement of 
each service and punctuate the various rites with the 
drone of their shell according to the customary ritual. 
Among the Uriyas the corresponding caste of temple 
servants is that of the Ravulos, whose caste duty is to 
sound the chank during services in Saivite temples 
when the god is being taken in procession as also to 
prepare garlands of flowers for the adornment of the 
god. Like the Ochchans, they are not usually whole- 
time servants of the temple, but while the former earn 
money as musicians at weddings, performing upon a 
long silver trumpet, the Ravulos make and sell garlands 
to the laity. The Ochchans never use the chank except in 
the temples, whereas the Ravulos are employed to sound 
itat Brahmans’ weddings. It is a rule among the latter 
that they must possess at least two blowing chanks, lest, 
* Day, ‘‘ Music and musical jnstruments »f S, India and the Deccan”, 1891, 
