________________
212 ]
of the inscribed Jain sculptures found here, it is evident that the town had a prosperous Jain population. Names of several Shresthis are engraved on pedestals of icons which they had dedicated to temples. The inscription of V.E. 1201 on a Kunthnath icon (R.M. Ajmer) records the names of Palhu, Dhanapati Vilhan, Lakhan, Harischandra and others. The names of Darsha and his sons Palu and Bharat are mentioned in an inscription dated V.E. 1203. Similarly Sodha's son Delha is referred to in an inscription of V.E. 1231.
Many Jain icons of the same10 period have been reported from Narena, Amer, Sanganer, Maroth etc. A Shantinath icon, now preserved in the Hastinapur (U.P.) Jain temple, containsll an inscription dated V.E. 1237 commissioned by a Khandelwal family of Ajmer. It tells us that Nemichandra, the grand son of Devapal of Ajmer had settled in Delhi. This happened during the reign of Prithviraj Chauhan III when Delhi was also under the Chauhans. Therefore, the business transaction between these towns increased.
The family of Ashadhar of Mandalgarh, which moved to Malwa, after the fall of Prithviraj Chauhan, was another family of note.
The Kharatargachchha Pattavali contains several references to the activities of the Jain-Acharyas in the Sapadalaksha-area. The names of Shresthi Ramdeva of Ajmer, Bohitthara-Ksemendhar, Dharkat Gollak, Rasal etc. are important in the history of Kharatargachchha for they were active in propagating its ideal of Vidhi Chaitya. Their names are also repeatedly noted in several colophons12 of old MSS and other literary sources including that of the Kharatargachchha Pattavali. The Vividh-Tirth Kalpa records that
9. Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy year 57-58 No B, 432, 433 and 430. 10. Vir vani (Jaipur). Vol. V p 39 11. Jain-Shilalekh-Sangrah, Vol. V No. 109. 12. The Kharatargachchha-Pattayali (SJGM) pp. 20-38/The Catalogue of Prakrit
and Sanskrit MSS.-Jaisalmer Collection pp. 77, 36, 116, 119, 120, 131-132. Jin Vijay No. 351.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
