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THE JAINA GAZETTE will cement the different sects into a single and solid organisation, and coming as it does from the efficient and enlightened ruler of one of the ancient states of India, the weighty words of advice of His Highness merit the very careful consideration of the Jaina leaders.
In short His Highness's address is indeed a timely message delivered to the Jaina Community with the vigour of a trumpet voice, with the freshness of a soft-smiling gentle zephyr, with the sweetness of a stream of rich distilled perfumes amidst the glo: y and splendour of an occasion which combined in itself both the solemnity of a royal proclamation and the sublimity of a religious sermon.
Now it is the duty of the Jains to show their fitness to receive such a message by translating it into action in all their activities for the betterment of the social, religious, educational and political status of the community and thus pave the way for a happier and freer nation and motherland.
OURSELVES This month we are publishing a Special number of the Jaina Gaz:tte with a number of select articles and illustrations in honour of the Mahamastakabisheka festival and the All-India Jain Conference at Sravana Belgola. Never before was there such a huge gathering under such happy and hallowed circumstances. Therefore as befitting the grandeur and solemnity of the occasion and as a permanent record for future reference we have issued this special number. We hope our numerous readers will kindly appreciate the worth and vulue of this important number.
The delay in publishing this issue was entirely due to the fact that we had to prepare almost all the blocks specially for this number of the Jaina Gazette. Therefore we trust our readers will not mind this delay in consideration of the enormous time, labour and money that we were compelled to spend in getting up this special number to its present size and substance.
During its existence of 21 years only once before a special issue illustrated with five plates was published in 1914 in honour of the anniversaries of the Syadvada Mahavidyala and the
All-India Jain Association at Benarcs. But never was there a Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
