Shell- Trumpets and thetr Distribution. a7 
often seen in North Arcot and the Southern Deccan, 
announcing his arrival in a village by blasts on the chank 
shell,” | 
In Malabar, at the ceremony of the bringing in of the 
first fruits, the priest comes forth from the local temple, 
preceded by a man blowing a conch. 
Similarly in Siam, conch-shell music is employed at 
religious ceremonies connected with the ploughing festival. 
The principal figure at these ceremonies is the Minister of 
Agriculture, who is borne in a palanquin to the field with 
an escort of priests blowing loud blasts on chank shells.” 
At weddings, among all Hindu non-Brahman castes 
in the districts of the south of India, the chank is blown 
by the barber (ambattan) particularly at or immediately 
after the tying of the ¢a/z or marriage badge round the 
bride’s neck. In Bengal this custom of chank-blowing 
during weddings is even more general. 
Though men are usually engaged to blow the chank 
at weddings, the women of the family or of the particular 
caste sometimes perform this duty. 
A further interesting use of chank-trumpets is in con- 
nection with the rite of circumcision which survives among 
the Puramali nadu Kallans. ‘This rite is carried out in a 
grove or plain outside the village, and the chank is blown 
at frequent intervals ex roufe and throughout the cere- 
mony.” 
Throughout the Tamil country all non-Brahman castes 
which observe Hindu rites have the chank sounded at 
death ceremonies. The chank sometimes has a place in 
the death ceremonies of castes which are not Hinduised, 
as the Cherumans of Malabar and Cochin. Here the 
chank-trumpet is used for devil-driving.” 
33 Hornell. op. Gtk: p-. 144. 
34 /bid. pp. 144-5. 
35 Thi. pp. 148-9. 
