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Publisher's Note
The incident took place about three decades ago, but the memory of it is still as fresh as a newly opened lotus in the middle of a pond, with all its hundred petals basking in the crimson morning sunshine. Although the passage of Time can never really be impinged on, that event was so powerful and inspiring that it has left an indelible mark on it.
It was the twenty-fifth centenary of Tirthankar Mahavir's nirvana. Special commemorative projects were being planned for different places, but they were all centred on the big cities of India. It was then that the divine voice of that great sage Upadhyaya Shri Amar Muniji Maharaj rang out in this legendary clarion call: "The projects to commemorate Tirthankar Mahavir's twenty fifth centenary of nirvana should be located in Bihar; they should be conducted from the sacred sites where Tirthankar Mahavir was born, where he preached, practised tapas and where he attained nirvana.'
Many people heard this resounding call, but the words particularly touched the heart of Acharya Shri Chandanaji. She made a steely resolve to turn them into reality. Thus a tiny seed which was sown twenty five years ago has today grown into a huge banyan tree called Veerayatan. With its branches spreading far and wide, it provides a cool shade for every weary person that sits beneath it.
Veerayatan has successfully completed many worthwhile projects in its first twenty five years and established a sound foundation for the dissemination of the thoughts of Tirthankar Mahavir. On the auspicious occasion of its Silver Jubilee, a plan was made to publish an informative and inspirational souvenir. Acharya Shri Chandanaji assigned the responsibility for its execution to her capable and learned disciple, Sadhvi Shri Shilapiji. With hard work and total dedication, Shilapiji accomplished this commendable task within a short period of time. Her accuracy and the freshness of her approach have given it a historical significance. Sadhvi Shri Shilapiji is currently doing research at London University. She is also
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