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JAINIOM IN SOUTH INDIA
later, were none-the legs unscientific or unsystematic. The method I adopted was the same as an initiated archaeologist or & trained epigraphist of the Archaeological Department generally follows. It was like this. As soon 88 I went to a place, I managed to bring myself into contact with the elderly and knowledgeable residents of the village and tried to extract from them as much information as I could relating to the places and objects invested with old traditions, ancient temples, sculptures and images, inscribed stones or stone tablets, copper plate records and other documents, manuscript works on palm leaf or paper, old paintings, etc. Next I moved about to the nook and corner of the locality and personally scrutinised all items of historical interest. Subsequently I copied the inscriptions, noted down the characteristic features of the temples and the soulptures in regard to their style, mode and structure, examined the contents of the documents on copper or other material, noticed the coins and drew up a list of manuscripts if any. In this manner I was able to collect a large number of epigraphical records and gather much valuable information on other items of historical and cultural interest.
In the course of these trips I came into contact with a large number of people and was furnished with opportunities of studying their ways of life. The results of my observations which unfortunately own a tragic bearing in the theme of present studies, may be usefully summarised here. What I was shocked to notice everywhere was the state of degeneration in all walks of life, not only in the political, but also and all the more, in the social, religious and oultural spheres. Thus I found that they had lost all sense of true religion and the art of living. The noble principles of true religion, that were & source of inspiration in the society once, were forgotten. They were pursuing the paths of false ideals and paying homage to sham spectacles. Let alone the high spirit of sacrifice, tolerance of doctrines and catholicity of faith, permeating the practices of the people at one time, which were latterly superseded by the creed of communal discriinipation and conflict of faiths, even the artistic excellence, the characteristic feature of early creations, was. incapable of evoking a feeling of sympathy and sense of appreciation in their hearts. They were callous witnesses of those works of art brought into existence by the religious zeal of their ancestors, swouldering in decay and dilapidation. Nay, some of them had actually and actively contributed to the deplorable condition of the relics by playing the role of the vandal and the iconoclast. To crown all, as the mockery would have it, they had installed unhewn stones or uncouth idols as deities in place and by the side of their earlier counterparts and were busy in worshipping them with great enthusiasm having erected new shrines and temples of indifferent appearance over them!
