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THE ADDRESS OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE RECEPTION COMMITTEE.
Your Highness and Gentlemen,
I
am really very fortunate in welcoming you all on behalf of the Mysore Jain Education Fund Association.
You have all assembled here to witness the Mahamastakabhishekam of Sri Gommata Swami which takes place now after an interval of fifteen years.
We have all assembled together here to earn punya. You would have known something about the ancient history of this place through oral traditions or from the inscriptions. But, for the information of you all I think it best to give a brief account.
It is learnt from the inscriptions that during the reign of Emperor Chandragupta, there occurred in Malwa a dreadful famine lasting for 12 years. The last Srutakevali, Sri Bhadrabahu seeing that it would not be possible for the Jain ascetics to live there and practise their religious duties, migrated to the south with his large number of disciples and came over here and stayed on "Chandragiri" the hill that is seen opposite to you. In those days this province was full of forests suitable for ascetics to live and do penance. The place was then called 'Katavapra.'
Since Bhadrabahu Swami stayed with his disciples here and performed tapas, this became an Ashram for the Munis-a Gurukula. At the foot of the hill there is a tank called 'Nirmala Jala' and 'Sveta-sarovara' in Canarese, Bel+Kol Belgol," because of the white lotus in it. Bel means white; Kol means tank. Since munis, (Sramanas) were staying on the Chandragiri hill near the tank, this was known as Sramana Belgola." 'Sramyanti Bahyabhyantaratapascharantiti sramana : Based on this definition the Jain Munis are called Sramanas. Sometime after, the name Sramana Belgola came to be pronounced Sravana Belgola. In course of time the Jains came and settled here, in Jinnakipur, Bastihalli, and Kambatahalli. Temples also were
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Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
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