Jain Inscriptions of Rajasthan

SR No.: 001596
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Ramvallabh Somani
Publisher: Rajasthan Prakrit Bharti Sansthan Jaipur
Publication Year: 1982
Total Pages: 350
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Art, & History
File Size: 17 MB

Page 208

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Arrangement for regular worship :
We have references of making donations to temples in order to cope with the expenses not only of daily worship but for arranging flowers, oil and other material required for liturgical activities. Such donations were mainly arranged in two ways: (i) Imposition of direct taxes by rulers and (ii) deposits or donations received in cash or kind from devotees. Details of such taxes as mentioned in the Hatundi16 inscriptions of V.E. 973 and 996, the Nadlai inscriptions of V.E. 1195 and 1202, the Juna Barmer inscription of V.E. 1352 and many others have already been described previously. Large sums were also bequeathed to the Bhandars of the temples and sometimes in Mandapikas too for specific objects.
The flowers, which were termed as “Nechaks”17 in the medieval epigraphs like the Nana inscription of V.E. 1203, the Hatundi inscriptions of V.E. 1335, the Sewadi inscription of V.E. 1213, the Jalore inscription of V.E. 1323 and many others were an essential item of worship, regular arrangement of which was necessary. Therefore, donations were given for making its arrangements. The Jhadoli inscriptioni8 of V.E. 1255 of the reign of Dharavarsh Paramar mentions a grant of an orchard for supplying garlands etc. regularly. Arrangement of oil19 for lamps in the temple was another important item. We have references about the payment of a fixed quantity of oil from every oil mill. The Nadlai20 inscription of V.E. 1200 and many others contain such information. The local officers also donated from collections received in the form of tax (kind) from the local oil mills. Sometimes the quantity of oil was fixed basing on each oil mill. The rate of such tax was varied from place to place. The Nadol plate of V.E. 1218 states that a sum of 5 Drammas were paid monthly for meeting expenses of incense in the Mahavir temple21 of Nadol,
16. ibid No. 318, 322, 334, 342, 371. 17. ibid. No. 319-320-321, 363. 18. ibid No. 430. 19. Ibid No. 343. 20. Jin Vijay No. 333. 21. Nahar No. 839,