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Saraswati Bhawan Bada Mandir
Granth Bhandar
This Bhandar originally belonged to the emionent Jains of the towns of AMBER and SANGANER. With the growth of Jaipur many of these persons who migrated to the city and lodged their manuscripts
with this Bada Mandir, located in the GHEEWALON-KA-RASTA, -Gradually this collection grew up in an enoromous size of 2630 manus.
cripts including therein 324 GUTAKAS. The collection belongs to various disciplines pertaining to KAVYA, KATHA, GRAMMER, PHILOSOPHY, BIOGRAPHIES, PURANS, AGAM, ASTRONOMY, ASTROLOGY, AURVEDA, MATHEMATICS etc., written in Prakrit Apabhramsa, Sanskrit, Hindi and Rajasthani languages. The works of Acharya Kund Kund, Bihari, Bharvi, Kalidas, Jambu Swami, Pushpadanta, Keshava etc. are some of the rare manuscripts preserved in this Bhandar in either original or transcripted forms. I . .. This big collection of the Jains and the con-Jains writers - shows that the study of both religious and secular subjects was closely linked with the manuscripts in those days. Thus this Bhandar is a representative library of manuscripts of this region. : .: The earliest manuscript which is available in the collection is "PANCHASTI KAYA of Acharya Kund Kund. This manuscript was copied in Vikram Samvat 1329. It was written in Delhi (Yoginipur). The latest manuscript named “DHARMOPDESHA RATNAMALA” of Duli Chand was written in Vikram Samvat 1964 (1907 A.D.).
It contains also two Sanskrit commentaries on JAMBU . SWAMI CHARIU and PAUMA CHARIU which are not available in any other Bhandar. There is also one manuscript of ADIPURANA of Puspadanta which is profusely illustrated containing 558 illustrations.
1,
Dr. K.C. Kashliwal, J.G.B.R., pp. 45–46,