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Importance of The Jaira Grantha Bhandars
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Since the adoption of system of writing, manuscripts were probably being written and placed in the Grantha Bhandārs. Grantha Bhandārs are therefore amongst the earliest literary institutions of the country. The collections are not of today but centuries old. They are the results of hard and continuous efforts from generation to generation. Before the inanufacture of paper, the manuscripts were written on palm leaves, cloth and other material but when the palm leaves industry was replaced by paper industry, all the manuscripts were re-written on paper.
These Grantha Bhandårs were the literary centres in true sense. They provided help to the scholars and reading public in enhancing their knowledge. But their importance lies not only in this but also in the fact that they saved the treasure of knowledge from destruction. In this respect, the contribution of Jainas is really great. Even today the earliest and authentic manuscripts of several works written by scholars other than the Jainas are preserved only in these bhandārs.
But apart from the literary importance of these bhandars their importance may be acknowledged also from other point of view. They quenched the thirst of scholars and provided help to the lovers of history, Indian art and culture also. There is a great scope for research in these subjects on the basis of colloctions in these Bhandars. The manuscripts were not collected from the place where the Grantha Bhandar exists but they were brought from various places which were the centres of literature, culture and of political activity.
Amongst such places are Delhi, Āgra. Ajmer, Amer, Ābu, Nagaur, Todaräisingh, Catsu, Sāngāner, Bharatpur, Jaisalmer Jodhpur, Jaipur, Bündi, Mandalgarh, Dungarpur, Chittor, Ranthambhore and Udaipur. The manuscripts written or copied in these places provide information regarding names of the places, names of persons by whom they were got copied, after being copied to whom they were presented and lastly sometimes they mention also the cost incurred in obtaining them This information is available in most of the manuscripts. The authors of Apabhramśa and Hindi works also give some description about the rulers of their time. The city or town where the manuscripts were written and the general conditions of the people there are described. Such information if collected and co-ordinated would provide good material for a cultural history of the times. These Bhandārs have played a great part in the development of the educational and cultural life of the country, because in the past they were literary centres and continue to be so even at present. There are many manuscripts on the basis of which love of the common people for art and painting at that time can be judged. Taking into consideration all these points we shall now judge the importance of the Grantha Bhandars under the following heads :
