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as, I thought, would be useful. I acknowledge my profound debt of gratitude to those monks whose memory even at this day is my cherished possession. At the same time as I visited the monasteries, I renewed my visits to all the Museums of Northern India and also personally explored many old sites of Jaina ruins in search of images properly illustrative of the iconographic texts. Within about three years, I was able to collect a vast store of materials for my purpose. The present book is the product of all my humble researches on the subject.
In the ever expanding field of Indology some intolerance and unfriendliness still hold sway. This is to be regretted. In the field of Indological research more, I believe, could be achieved by mutual sympathy and understanding and less, very much less by the lack of them. Criticism of a constructive character is always extremely helpful; and no one need grudge it, I mean, no one who has the interest of truth nearest to his heart. I am no judge of my own work. Having put the first furrow in the hitherto fallow field of Jaina Iconography, I place with considerable diffidence this humbie work of nine in the hands of Orientalists for their criticism and suggestion which, I doubt not, will be of great help to me in seeing much that I may not have seen at first.
To my general readers my request is that they may be pleased to read the introduction and the introductory paragraphs of cach chapter and then relate and compare them to the illustrations at the end of the book.
In conclusion, I desire to record my cordial thanks to Kumar Probodhendu Nath Tagore B.L. for same financial help and to Khan Bahadur Maqsud Ali Khan (C.S. ret.), Chief Secretary to H.H. the Maharaja of Benaras, for his benevolent encouragement and ready sympathy. I have also to express my indebtedness to my esteemed friend, Professor U.C. Nag M.A. Ph.D. for many usefu! suggestions and to my old student, Mr. T.N. Sarkar B.A. (U.P. Police), for preparing under my instruction the index of this volume.
Durgakund Road, Banares, U.P. January 20, 1939
B C.B.
