Collections of manuscripts preserved by the Jaina Sangha and individual monks are found in India at various places in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Karnataka etc. Now a days they are called Bhandaras but in olden days they were called Citkosas, Bharatibhandagaras, Sarasvatibhandagaras and Sarsvatibhandaras. These collections are very rich in their contents and some of them preserve most ancient copies of manuscripts on palm-leaves, paper and cloth on all subjects, secular and religious. Not only that but mss. written in golden and silver ink and with illustrations are also found in good number in these collections. In view of these valuable treasures available in the Jaina mss. collections, the authority of the L. D. Institute of Indology wisely decided to arrange an exhibition of important mss., sculptures and other antiquities of Jaina Art during the celebrations of 2500th years of Lord Mahavira's Nirvana. Through the good offices of Gujarat State Committee for the Celebration of 2500th Anniversary of Mahavira Nirvana, the Govt. of Gujarat State gave liberal financial assistance of Rs. 1,50,000 for the purpose. Due to some difficulties the exhibition had to be postponed during the celebrations but it was held from 16-11-75 to 30-11-75 after the celebrations were over.
We were able to procure some of the best mss. and other material from the various collections and we are grateful to the trustees of all those collections. As the exhibition was postponed some of the mss. borrowed from these collections had to be returned before the exhibition. However, photographs and transparencies were prepared of several selected illustrations of antiquities for a future study. The present catalogue lists the thus exhibited antiquities and also some important ones which had to be returned after taking photographs, as they were originally borrowed for a limited time.
The present Catalogue therefore does not aim at a full study of all the manuscripts and miniatures once borrowed. But some notes are added from whatever study could be made of these antiquities, some of which the undersigned writer of Notes on Art had no occasion to examine in the original. The aim of this Catalogue is to bring to the notice of scholars the wealth and value of new material that could be collected and exhibited from various viewpoints. Still there are several important Jaina collections which, it is hoped, will be available to us in future for study.
Besides the texts of manuscripts on palm-leaf, paper and cloth and the pajas on paper and cloth, as also scrolls of Vijñapti-patras etc., there are in the Jaina Bhandaras of India, and especially of Rajasthan and Gujarat, several manuscripts of Jaina and non-Jaina works which, because of their antiquity and illustrations are very valuable to students of miniature paintings of Western India.
In one of his recent works, (entitled More Documents of Jaina Painting etc.), the. undersigned attempted a list of different Jaina texts whose manuscripts are known to contain book-illustrations. The present Catalogue further adds considerably to our knowledge of illustrated mss. available in Jaina collections.
This Catalogue could be published because the Gujarat State Government financed the whole project, including cost of publication of Catalogue. We are indeed very thankful to the Government of the Gujarat State for the liberal grant given for this cause to the L. D. Institute of Indology.
1 am very thankful to my friends Prof. Dalsukhbhai Malvania and Prof. Nagin J. Shah for giving me an opportunity to study this rich new material. The whole staff of the L. D. Institute has extended whole-hearted cooperation in various ways. I am especially thankful to Shri Laxmanbhai H. Bhojak, the Keeper of all mss. etc. in the Institute for his valuable cooperation. Shri Laxmanbhai himself is a good student of Jaina texts and manuscriptology. The Catalogue appended here was kindly prepared by Prof. Malvania, Prof. Naginbhai Shah and Shri Laxmanbhai.
Hindu (935)
Agriculture (118)
Ancient (1086)
Archaeology (753)
Architecture (563)
Art & Culture (910)
Biography (702)
Buddhist (544)
Cookery (167)
Emperor & Queen (565)
Islam (242)
Jainism (307)
Literary (896)
Mahatma Gandhi (372)
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Manage Wishlist