Jaina Community a Social Survey

SR No.: 007019
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Vilas Sangve
Publisher: Popular Book Depot Bombay
Publication Year: 1980
Total Pages: 484
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 12 MB

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Jaina Community-A Social Survey
such as grammar, rhetoric, prosody, mathematics, astrology, medicine, veterinary science, cookery and so forth. Altogether the number of Jaina authors in Kannada is nearly two hundred.”77 As the Jainas have produced their vast literature in these languages from very ancient times, the Jainas have certainly played a very important part in the development of the different languages of India. The medium of sacred writings and preachings of the Brahmins has all along been Sanskrit and of the Bauddhas Pāli. But the Jainas alone utilised the prevailing languages of the different places, besides Sanskrit, Prakrit and Apabhramśa, for their religious propaganda as well as for the preservation of knowledge.78 The Jainas thus occupy an important position in the history of the literature and civilisation of India.79
Along with literature the Jainas have always taken their due share in the development of the arts in the country. The Jainas have contributed their mite to enhance the glory of India in several branches of art and architecture. Compared with their number their contribution appears to be imposing. It must be remembered that Jainism did not create a special architecture of its own, for wherever the Jainas went they adopted the local building tradition. While in Northern India they followed the Vaishnava cult in build. ing, in Southern India they adhered to the 'Dravidian' type.80 The Stūpas of the Jainas are indistinguishable in form from those of the Buddhists and a Jaina curvilinear steeple is identical in outline with that of a Brahmanical temple.81 Even though the Jainas have not evolved a distinct Jaina style of architecture, yet it must be said to their credit that they have produced numerous and finest specimens of architecture in different parts of the country.82 More than any other sect in India the Jainas have displayed their intense love of the picturesque while selecting the sites for the construction of their sacred buildings like temples, temple-cities, cave temples, Stūpas, pillars and towers. They have erected their temples either on lovely hill-tops or in deep and secluded valleys.83 It has already been noted that as the Jaina religicn considers construction of temples as a meritorious act, the Jainas bave constructed an unusually large number of temples throughout India.84 Nearly 90 per cent of Jaina temples are the gifts of single wealthy individuals and as such the Jaina temples are distinguished for elaborate details and exquisite finish.85