Jaina Granth Bhandars in Rajasthan

Author(s): Kasturchand Kasliwal
Publisher: Digambar Jain Atishay Kshetra Mandir

Page 41

Introduction
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(17th Century) there was a very good association, where the learned and old persons used to come and discuss with each other the principles of religion and other subjects. These persons used to request scholars to write new works of their choice in order to quench their thirst of learning.
Upto the 19th Century the management of the Grantha Bhandārs remained good, and great care was taken to save the manuscripts from destruction. But during the last one century due to the printing presses the care for manuscripts was less and less. When the readers could get printed books of the same author, they began to forget to read the manuscripts and as such the attention towards the safety of the manuscripts fall down. During the last 50 years the management of the Grantha Bhandārs turned from bad to worse and as such the condition of the Grantha Bhandārs at present is not good in the villages and towns.
HOW THE MANUSCRIPTS ARE PRESERVED
Manuscripts are handled with great care in the Sastra Bhandārs by the management. There is a scientific process through which a manuscript is to be passed before it is placed in the Sastra Shandārs Apart from the process there are strict instructions written at the end of the manuscript, that the manuscript was written with great difficulty so it should be preserved with great care. The manuscripts are rarely given to every one because it is stated that these books when passed on into other hands are seldom returned
लेग्विनी पुस्तक रामा परहस्ते गता गता । कदाचित् पुनरायाना नष्टा मष्टा च चुम्बिता ।।
WOODEN BOARDS
Every manuscript is placed between two wooden boards of the size of the manuscript. These boards are prepared specially for them There may be one or two holes in the Boards. One hole is made in the centre while two holes are on both the sides of the boards so that the string in which the manuscupt is stiung may also pass on and the manuscript may be tightened Wooden boards are used specially for palm leaves manuscripts but when manuscripts written on papers came into use, paper boards began to be used as they were cheaper and also available easily in the market. Cloth was used to be wrapped on these boards. Most of the manuscripts were written on paper are under the card boards
ea farfa
ET Na oftalatai