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Jaina Grantha Bhandārs in Rajasthan.
1595 (1538 A.D.) and presented to Mandalacarya Dharmacandra. Bhavisyadatta Carita' of Dhanpala, an Apabhramta work was copied in Samvat 1589 (1532 A,D.).
Aimer is a holy place for Hindus. Muslims and Jainas. There are nine Jaina temples. Two Grantha Bhandars exist in the Jaina temple of Bada Dhaḍā and the Third one is in Jaina temple of Sethji.
(50) GRANTHA BHANDARS OF JAINA TEMPLE BADĀ DHĀDĀ
The Grantha Bhandar of this temple is among the big Bhandars of Rajasthan The temple in which the Bhandar lies, remained the seat of the Bhattarkas for a long time It was constructed in the 16th century and as such this Sastra Bhandar was shifted to this temple which already existed in other temple before 16th century The services rendered by the Bhattarakas in the enhancement of the collection cannot be even estimated The collection work of the manuscript was continued systematically upto the Bhattarka Vijaykirti (18th Century) He was a good scholar and interested in the collection of the literary works. There are several manuscripts which were copied by the Bhattaraka himself But after his death. the management of the Grantha Bhandar became disturbed and due to carelessness of management, several manuscripts were destroyed and more than one thousand manuscripts have been made incomplete. But there is a collection of 2015 manuscripts still safely preserved. The Grantha Bhandar has been now systematically arranged by the author himself in December 1958 These manuscripts belong to Samskrit, Präkrit, Apabhramsa, Hindi and Rajasthānī works. Though the Grantha Bhandar seemed to have come in o existence in the 13th century, there is no manuscript prior to 15th century. The carliest written manuscript was copied in the year 1406 It is a manuscript copy of SAMAYASARA PRABHRITA: Most of the manuscripts written in this Bhandar belong to 15th to 18th century. This shows that this Bhandar remained the literary centre during these centuries.
As the whole collection belongs to the Bhattarak as so the manuscripts on the subjects like Ayurveda, Jyotışa and Mantra Sastra are also in abundance. Such a huge collection on Ayarveda is not available every where else. Several Guțakās completely related to the Ayurvedic literature.
2 Prasasti Sangrah of Amer Sastra Bhandar laipur p 149
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स्वस्ति श्री मवत् १४६३ वर्षे मार्गकृष्ण त्रयोदश्या सोमवासरे श्रद्यह श्रीकालवी नगरे एतेषा मध्ये साधु नइण पौत्रेण नरपति पुत्रेण साधु श्रीवाल्हाचार्यदेवेन साधुनी atryपालही लgafsकातेन माधुराजजातेन पौत्र साधु श्रीपालहरणचन्द्र समुद्रभवने श्री समयसारपुस्तक लिवाप्य समारसमुद्रोताररणार्थं दुरितदुष्टविध्वसनार्थ ज्ञानावरणाकर्मक्षयार्थं श्रीधर्महेतो सुगुरो धर्मचन्द्र देवेभ्य पुस्तकदान दत्त ।
