Jain Digest 1998 01 Vol 14 No 01

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

Page 24

Parshvanath Vidyapeeth
Parshvanath Vidyapeeth was started in a very humble manner as a memorial to revered, late Acharya, Pujya Sohan Lal Ji Maharaj. It was founded as a society at Amritsar, Punjab, in 1935 and the Institute was established in 1937 at Varanasi, under the name "Shri Sohan Lal Jain Dharam Pracharak Samiti". The institute received the guidance from such eminent scholars as Pt. Sukhlal Ji Sanghvi, who held the Jain Chair at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. Later, from Pt. Bechar Das Ji Doshi, Pt. Dalsukh Bhai Malviniya and many more. The present Director, Dr. Sagar Mal Ji Jain, is well known through out the Jain world.
"The Institute... has one of the finest libraries in the whole of northern India, boasting more than 26,000 specialised books on Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism for the specific purpose
The Campus
The Institute is housed on a plot of land measuring 20,000 square metters, and has one of the finest libraries in the whole of northern India, boasting of more than 26,000 specialised books on Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism for the specific purpose of Comparative Studies. Students from all over India and many foreign Universities use the Library. The library contains a number of original hand written manuscripts.
Situated on the campus are also the hostels for Sadhus, Sadhvis, boys and girls besides residential facilities for staff and research scholars. A guest house is also maintained for visiting guests and dignitaries. The Director of the Institute also resides within the campus.
The latest development is the creation of a Jain Art Gallery and a museum dedicated to ancient Jain Art. In short-it is truly a complete learning resource center dedicated to Jain Studies.
The Work
The Institute is recognised as a research site for higher Jain studies by Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, which also awards Ph. D. degrees to successful students of the Institute. The Institute so far has turned out 55 Ph. D. scholars and has published over 150
22/JAIN DIGEST SPRING 1998 Jain Education International 2010_02
books on various aspects of Jainism. A quarterly research journal is also being published by the Institute, entitled Shraman. The journal contains both English and Hindi articles, and shortly a Gujarati section is to be added.
by Indrabhooti Barar
The Future
The Institute has applied to the Government of India, Department of Education and the Universities Grants Commission for recognition and status as a Deemed University. The application is pending only for the sake of our creation of an endowment fund of Rs. 40 Million. Efforts to that end are on. The Institute has the recognition from the Government of India's Department of Science and Technology for its distinguished contribution to studies in Comparative Jainology with other Shramnic Religions.
This is the age of information and in the road map drawn-up by management is to bring this Institute and its activities to the world in a more user friendly manner. With the liberalisation the means of communication shall also improve. We plan to put the library catalogue of the Institute as a first step on the Internet to make it accessible to all easily. Gradually other areas shall follow.
This is the 60th year of the Institute and we are planning on celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of the Institute. Padam Bhushan, Dr L. M. Singhvi, Ex-High Commissioner of India to U.K. and an eminent scholar of Jainism, has consented to inaugurate the celebrations. On this occasion we plan to felicitate all our old students for their distinguished and dedicated services to Jainism.
We also invite anyone who-so-ever may be interested to study Jainism to come and study at the Institute. The purpose is to bring Jainism and its fundamentals to the world in modern Languages. The address of the Vidyapeeth is:
Parshvanath Vidyapeeth
I.T.I. Road, Karaundi Post Office BHU Varanasi 221 005
INDIA
With the hope that I have been able to convey a reasonable sketch of the Parshvanath Vidyapeeth, I look forward to the response and would be glad to supply any further information that may be desired.