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Jainism: The Cosmic Vision 1906 the first Conference of Sthanakvasis met at Ajmer. As an attempt to unite Jain sects of all India, the Young Men's Association was founded in 1899 AD. In 1910 it was named Bharat Jain Mahamandal. As a result of Yugadarshi Acharya Shri Vijayvallabhasuriji's inspiration, the Mahavira Jain Vidyalaya was established. This institution which started working with fifteen Students and in a rented house on 18-61915 gave to the new generation not only religious education and culture, but also facilities for higher education and, thus, it made a great contribution to social uplift. Besides two hostels in Bombay, this institution has its five branches in Ahmedabad, Pune, Vadodara, Vallabh Vidyanagar and Bhavnagar. In collaboration with Pujya Agamprabhakar Muniraj Shri Punyavijayaji the big scheme of Jain Agama Granthamala along with extension of studies was undertaken by it and thus it made a special contribution in the field of publication of literature. Shri Mahavira Jain Vidyalaya stands as a lasting memorial to Acharya Shri Vijayvallabhasuriji's eager longing for social uplift and his ardent desire for dissemination of knowledge.
Jain libraries are not only store-house of books, but their founders and preservers make admirable efforts to store books of all sects. Important old books of Buddhistic and Brahminic sects, which are not found elsewhere, are found in Jain libraries. They collected not only books of paper-sheets, but also thousands of books written on palm-leaves. Jains of Gujarat did the toilsome work of preserving whole accumulations of books. In a number of cities, big and small, of Mahagujarat, one finds one or more Jain libraries and cities like Patan, Ahmedabad, Limbdi, Bhavnagar and Khambhat are very famous for their
Activities of Jain Religion in the Last Century Jain libraries. As soon as these cities are referred to a scholar, it at once remind of its libraries.
If we take a bird's-eye view of pilgrimage places developed in last hundred years, Bhoyani, Pansar, Serisa, Mahudi, Mehsana, Kalikund Parshvanath (Dholka), Kangdi in Punjab and Pundaltirtha (Kesarvadi) in Polal town fifteen kilometres from Madras, have come into existence. At national level 25ooth anniversary of Bhagwan Mahavira was celebrated. At the end of a thousand years of installation of Bahubali's image in Gomateshavar a great festival was held. In Dharmasthal in the south and in Ferozabad in Uttarpradesh, Bahubali's images of heights of 42 ft. and 39 ft. respectively were installed. New and large images of Rishabhdev, Bharatdev and Bahubali were installed in the Potanpur Ashram near National Park of Borivali. How can one forget the Sarvodaya Temple of Ghatkopar which awakens the wonderful conception of unity of all religions? Here are seen a number of idols of Shri Parshvanath. Abu, Taranga, Ranakpur, Junagadh and Shatrunjaya - these places of pilgrimage were renovated in a special way. A number of these renovations reveal the artistic insight of the great merchant Shri Kasturbhai Lalbhai. Shri Anandji Kalyanji's firm performed the excellent work of administration and renovation of places of pilgrimage. Shri Narmadashankar Sompura; Amrutlal Trivedi, Nandlal and Champalalji made a significant contribution in this field of work. During this period a good many Agam temples were created in Palitana. Agam temples were created also at Surat, Shankheshvar, Ahmedabad, Veraval etc. Shri Kanji Swamiji aslo got Agams temples erected. As many as 75 Jain temples were
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