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A LOVER OF LIGHT AMONG LUMINARIES : Dilip Kumar Roy acknowledge his contribution to the making of this thesis. I thank Mrs. Vasantika J. Dave for constantly and lovingly inspiring me to finish the work in time.
I do not know if I should acknowledge my indebtedness to my husband. Paresh K. Patel, for his constant support to me all throughout the strenuous period of my work. All that I can say is that he has proved to be truly the other and better half of my self. I am obliged to my mother- Prabhavati Kapadia-for her constant goading to me to complete my work as early as possible. She enabled me to concentrate my entire mind on my work, by taking upon herself the responsibility of looking after all the household work. I thank my parents-inlaw--Prof. Kanjibhai M. Patel and Prof. Jaliniben Patel-who have shown keen interest in my work. How can I forget Javanya, my ten year old son, who patiently suffered my work and inability to pay proper attention to him during the period ? I am truly thankful to him, for he always waited and never complained until I finished my work and was free to look after himn properly again.
My thanks are due to Prof. N. V. Patel, Principal, Uma Arts & Nathiba Commerce Women's College, Gandhinagar, who permitted me to do my research work and helped me in many other ways.
I am grateful to Mr. Manibhai Prajapati, the librarian, North Gujarat University, Patan, for not only lending the books generously from the University Library, but also for making relevant books available to me from various other sources. I thank similarly Miss Mayuriben Patel, the librarian, Uma Arts & Nathiba Commerce Women's College, Gandhinagar, for her help.
When L. D. Institute of Indology, which has been devoted to the promotion of Indian culture, art and philosophy for last forty five years, accepted this thesis for publication, I found myself rewarded. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Jitendrabhai Shah. Director, L. D. Institute of Indology, for considering my proposal with a kind of seriousness and sympathy that any scholar may need and reasonably expect, and for sanctioning financial support for the publication of my doctoral thesis in a reworked form.
Dr. Amrita Paresh Patel
"AUROMA", Plot No. 390, Sector 1, Gandhinagar.
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