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villages situated around Mt. Abu, with translations thereof into Gujarāti.
The first of the above-named five books has passed through three editions in Gujarātī and a Hindi translation of it is also published.
Since Mt. Abu has a two-fold importance on account of its sacredness as a place of pilgrimage, as also for its architectural and artistic magnificence, the demand for an English version of the first of the five books was felt long ago, for the use and guidance of students of art and archæology, both Indian and foreign. The late Munishri was aware of such a demand, and he had moved in the matter and twice got the book translated in English. But with all his keenness about it, the work could not be accomplished during his life-time.
The present volume is a free English version of the third Gujarāti edition of that first book of Munishri Jayanta Vijayaji. We are happy that we have been able to achieve our object though after a few years' delay. Its publication means to us the clearing up of a debt long overdue.
The learned translator of this work from Gujarāti into English, Dr. Umakant Premanand Shah, M. A., Ph. D., of Baroda, is a deep student of history, Art and Jaina Iconology. We are deeply indebted to him for preparing for us this English version of the original within a very short time and for co-operating with us all along its publication. He has added his own notes, on several occasions, in this work, and supplied a learned introduction from his own pen as translator. We do hope that it will serve a good purpose and lead to further studies.
Earlier attempts at translation were made during the lifetime of the late Muni Shri. We take an opportunity of thanking Shri N. K. Sorte, M. A. of Ujjain and Shri L. M. Pathak, B. A. of Bhuj for the same.
We are very deeply indebted to Dr. Vasudev Sharan Agrawala., M. A., Ph. D., Professor of Art and Archæology at the Banaras Hindu University and a well-known art historian and critic of India, for making it convenient, in the midst of
