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DEVELOPMENT AND IMPACT OF JAINISM IN INDIA.... PUNJAB
many students to foreign countries for higher education.
The next name to edify and spiritually uplift the people of Punjab is that of Mahattara Sadhvi Shri Mrigavatiji. She was the founder of Gurudham Tirtha at Lehra (Zeera) and the first promoter of Shri Vallabh Smarak (Memorial) at Delhi. She was successful in acquiring the rights of worshipping and performing Aarti (with lamps) the image of Lord Adinatha after having spent 8 months in Kangra (H.P.) She is famous as rescuer and renovator of the Jain Tirtha of Kangra. She left for heaven in the year 1986 at the Vijaya Vallabh Memorial at Delhi.
Treasury of scriptures and books:
In almost all monasteries, Temples, Upashrayas, in the dwelling places and in the rain retreats of the Sadhus of Jain faith there were lots of classical works on Jain religion and also handwritten Manuscripts. As per instructions of the Gurus all these books alongwith rare Manuscripts have been deposited in care of the Vallabh Smarak at Delhi and have been entrusted to the B. L. Institute of Indology for conducting research on them and making them available to the Scholars.
Creation of Jain Literature / Persons:
The Yatis, Shravakas, Aryikas and Munis copied out a number of texts, Shastras and Sutras. They also composed original works on Vaidyak (indigenous medicine) Astrology (Jyotish), Grammar (Vyakarna), stories of Panchatantra etc. They also wrote dependable and rich Travelogues of their visits from one vihara to the other. The Shripala Charita composed by Dharmachanda Upadhyaya in the year 1427 AD (VS 1484) is an old example for such a genre of work. The Kalpasutra of Samana written in Gold letters is also a unique manuscript of its kind. All these invaluable Manuscripts and many thousand others are preserved in the Vallabh Smarak.
Acharya Vijayanand Suri Ji and His Disciple Acharya Vijay Vallabh Suri Ji, both adopted the national language Hindi for their writings. Vijaya Vallabh Suri also composed a number of extensive books on the Jain mode of worship. His Composition "Vallabh Kavya Sudha" contains Rhymes, Poems, Sajjahays and Bhajans which stand published. His Padyas include "Bhim Gyan Trishanka, Gapp Deepika, Samir, Jain Bhanu, Jawab dawa and the more significant work Navyug Nirmata.
Maladeva Suri was born in the 16 the C. He conducted three Rain retreats in Pinjore near Chandigarh. He was a great poet and has composed many works in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Rajasthani and Hindi.
Yati Meghraja (of Phagwara):
The works available of Yati Megharaja (of Phagwara) are: Meghamala, Meghavinoda, Gopichand Katha, Danasheel Tapa Bhavana, Pratah Mangal, Path Chaubisi, Pingal Shastra, Megh Vilas and Meghmuhurta.
Poet Harajas Rai (Kasur): was a Shravak of Oswal Gadia clan (gotra). His works are: Guruguna Ratnamala (1865), Srimandhar Svami Chhand (1865), Devadhideva Rachna and Devachana(1870).
Poet Khushiram Dugad (Gujaranwala): Around 25 works of this poet are available among
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