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Grantha Bhandars of Jodhpur Division,
( 97
century various Jaina spiritual leaders and saints such as Jina Vallabh Sûri and Jinadatta Sūri visited this place. This was the centre of Swetămbar Jaina Sect.
Vädideva Súria was the founder of Nigapuriya Tapāgacha. In the 15th century there had been Pandit Medhavi, a Samskrit scholar and writer of several books. He completed his Dharmopadeśa Stāvakācāra in Nāgaur in Samvat 1541 (1-184 A D.). He described Nagaur as the capital of Sapad Laksa Pradeśa.
मपादलक्षे विषयेति सुन्दरे, श्रियापुरे नागपुर समस्ति तत् । पेरोजग्वाना नपति प्रयाति, न्यायेन शौर्येण रिपून निहन्ति च ॥१८।।
--Pracasti Sangrah p 24
In Samvat 1581 (1524 A.D) Bhattārakai Ratana Kirti established an independent Bhattārak Gadi and also established a great Šāstra Bhandar which at present is regarded the greatest śāstra Bhandic in Rājasthān. Since then Nägaur became a great literary centre for both the sects of Jainas. From the 15th to 18th century this city remained a centre of Jaina literary activities and thousands of mannscripts were copied here. Some of them are still in the Grantha Bhandārs of Nagaur itself and others are in the various other Bhandārs of Rajasthan.
Since the establishment of Grantha Bhandar, there had been several Bhattārakas such as Bhuwan Kirti (1529 A D.), Dharma Kirti (1533 AD) Visal Kirti (1544 A D.), Laxmi Candra (1554 A D.) Nemi Candra (1593 A D.). Yashah Kirti (1615 AD), Bhanu Kirti (1633 AD), Sri Bhusana (1648 A D.), etc. who took great interest in incresing the number of the manuscripts and also took great care for the safe preservation of the same. The manuscripts were got written by the householders and were presented to Bhattārakas at the end of the religious ceremonies or at the time of their visit to the places
Thus the collection of manuscript in this Grantha Bhandar increased day by day This work was continued upto end of the 19th century without any difficulty because from the collection it appears that during the past 100 years a very few manuscripts were written and placed in the Granila Bhandir.
More care was given to preservation than to the collection itself for years these manuscripts were not often seen ficely by public. Just at present even
1
Anekanta Delhi Vol II Kiran 2.
2
loud.
3. Bhaitāraka Sampradāya by V. Plohtapur kar page. :21
