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150 )
Shantinath. It contains a large slab with an inscription dated V.E. 1255 Asoj Sudi 7 (Sept., 9, 1198 A.D.). It seems that this temple was originally dedicated to Mahavir and not to Shantinath. The inscription also refers to the grant of an orchard to the temple by Shringar devi, queen of Paramar Dharavarsh. Ajari is about 5 Kms. south of Pindawara. Ruins of Hindu and Jain temples prove that this was once a prominent city. The Jain temple has inscriptions ranging from V.E. 1018 to 1454. Diyana is an equally old site. Its Shantinath temple has an icon of Mahavir dated V.E. 1024. It has remained in constant worship and several Acharyas have passed the rainy seasons here. Lotana, which is also referred to as Lotipur-Pattan is also a very ancient Jain site. The Rishabhdeva temple here has several inscribed old icons dated V.E. 1130, 1144 and onwards.
Hadoti :
The valley of Hadoti is celebrated for its lush vegetation, high mountain ranges, parennial rivers and other bonanzas of
2. It has been a centre of various cultural activities from remote past. Recently two inscriptions datablel to the 2nd century B.C. were discovered in this area from Darah (Distt. Kota). One of these speaks of a Shramana Silpisena, who was a resident of Awara (Distt. Mandsaur ). The other records the name of Kalavida Apabhasena. Evidently a group of Shramanas were aready living here in the second century B.C. But the definite inscriptional existence of Jainism and Buddhism in the Hadoti area is proved by a much the later epigraph, the Sheragarh2 inscription of V. E. 847 ( 790 A.D.) and the Dhamnar and Kolavi caves. Several ancient Jain temples have been reported from this tract. The Jain temples of Atru, Baran, Sheragarh, Jhalara Patan, RangaPatan, Kasoraya Patan, Bhimgarh Kankoni Kelawara etc. are worth noting. But these temples carry very few inscriptions. A study of available epigraphical material of this area is as under :
1. Varuda Vol. XXI No. 4 pp. 3-4 2. 1. A. Vol. XIV p. 45
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