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CULTURAL STUDY OF THE NISITHA CURNI
from being initiated in the monastic order of the Jainas till which contract period was not over.' The same rules must have been carried out in case of all the important arts and crafts of the time.
Mines and Mineral-products-The mines (agara? or khana) were extensively worked and khitikhanas was a class of labourers especially employed for working in the mines. The following were the seven important ores produced from the mines-iron (aya), copper (lavu), tin (tamba), lead (sisaga), silver (hiranna, tuppa), gold (suvanna) and diamond (vaira).* Besides, vessels made of bronze ( kaṁsa ) were also not unknown.5 The artists were versed even in the art of Dhatuvada, i.e. turning base metals like copper into finer ones like gold.6
Along with these metals, mention may also be made of the different varieties of precious stones (pasaņa) and gems (maņi) which were usually wrought in precious metals for making ornaments. Among these, supphire (indranila), ruby (padmaraga)?, jasper' or sunstone (sürakanta), moon stone (candrakanta)8, quartz (Sphatika, phadiha)', baryl (vaidūrya). have been mentioned. Maniyaras were the dealers in precious stones and gems who gave different shapes to the stones by rubbing them on the touchstone (saņa).10. Mottiyas were the beadsmen who deligently stringed beautiful pearls and beads into different types of necklaces. 11 1. NO. 3, p. 272. 2. NC. 2, p. 329. 3 NC. 3, p. 273. 4. NC, 1, p. 136; NC. 2, p. 329. 5. Í ATU-NC. 2, p. 290; NC. 3, p. 173. 6. Ofera fata aquife maat 17:NC. 3, p. 387. Bāna also mentioned
the old Dravida priest as versed in the a t of Dhāluvada.-Agrawala,
V, S., Kādambari : Eka Sanskrtika Adhyay.in , p. 230. 7. NC. 3, p. 389. 8. NC. 2, p. 109. 9. Ibid., also p.400. 10. NC. 2, p. 5. 11. Ibid.
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