A Sankha is a conch shell of ritual and religious importance in Hinduism and Buddhism. It is shell of large predatory sea snail, found in the Indian ocean. Sankha is still used as trumpet in Hindu ritual, and in the past was used as a war trumpet. The sankha is praised in Hindu scriptures as a giver of fame, longevity and prosperity, the cleanser of sin and the abode the goddess Lakshmi, who is the goddess of wealth and consort of Vishnu. The sankha is one of the eight auspicious symbols of Buddhism, the Ashtamangala, and represents the pervasive sound of Buddhism.