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near Bombay, travelled to Ellora and Ajanta, to Sanchi and Udaigiri and a few other holy places. While sojourning in the Shri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry I used the extensive library of the Ashram for gathering basic information on the Jaina religion. Having seen and liked the Jaina caves of Ellora and Udaigiri I desired to know more than what was offered in guide books. I may have left it by that first glimpse of that little known religion, but then someone suggested to me to go and see Shravanabelgola. This I did, taking a third class rail ticket from Madras to Bangalore.
In the morning bus from Bangalore to Shravanabelgola I was the only foreigner. A friendly passenger offered me a window seat, and the closer we came to our destination the more akin I felt to the picturesque landsdcape. At Shravanabelgola Ifound accomodation in the upper storey of a rather seedy eating establishment. (The comfortable Jain Guest House in which I stayed during my second visit in 1983 hadn't been built yet.)
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