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The Jain Antiquary
[Vol. XVII then situated in a big side-hall of the temple of Shree Shanti Nath Ji, just by the side of its present site.
According to the last will of B. Devkumar, who died in 1908, its name was changed into 'The Central Jain Oriental Library" before a large gathering of prominent scholars of far and near. The site remained the same. His request was as follows :
"Before you all bretheren, particularly to the leaders of our Jain Community, my last request is that an emergent protection of old religious books, temples and inscrip'ions is urgently required, hecause these are the saviours of Jainism in the world. I was anxious for this but death is taking me away, all of a sudden. I had promised to practice celibacy till the iulfillment of this work, but as ill luck would have it, I could not get the virtue of completing this sacred act. Now you all are the pillars of this holy deed and it is your duty to accomplish it."
Though Dev Kumar Ji was a patron of learning and old culture from his very boyhood, this idea dawned upon him when he was on pilgrimage to the sacred shrines of the South, in 1907. He had the occasion of visiting the collections of religious books at several places and was moved to see their ill fate, lacing gradual destruction due to mismanagement. He managed to instruct the local people, the importance of those valuables of the community and the way to save them. He brought several books with himself while got some others re copied. Then he gave birth to this lively idea that is now at its full youth.
Late B. Karori Chand, the first secretary of the institution, served it much by enriching it with manuscripts. specially those on palmleaves. He owed much to Reverend Shree Nemi Sagar Ji Varni, without whose help, the work would have been an impossibility. A large sum was invested in sending missionary to Karnatak and Tamil countries for collection of books and preparing a catalogue of all the famous Jain Libraries of the South. Year 1912, is the most commemorating period for the inaguration of "The Jain Antiquary", the only magazine of its kind, under the editorship of Shree Padmaraj Ji Jain. But its publication was discontinued only after an year because suitable help and financial stability was lacking.
