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88 / The Later Gangas : Mandali-Thousand
Sallekanā at Śravanabelagola on the Candragiri hill, and entered the high heaven as if her own home, in C.E. 1120. Her elder sister Lakkale alias Laksmi, set up a nisidhi, stone pillar, resembling a column of victory, for that excellent lady Demavati [EC. II (R) 158 (129) 1120. pp. 99-101].
Whoever conceived the act of Šāstra-dāna, their dream is realised: there is no other holier or greater Šāstra-dāna, ever known than this, in the annals of Jainism.
Similarly, another pious lady Mallikabbe, a queen consort of Säntisenaraja also got copied by the skilled professional copyists, Maha-Dhavalā (mahā-bandha). She is praised with the epithets Sila-nidhi, an abode of amiable disposition and mahăyasasvini, a great splendour of glory. Mallikabbe, to commemorate the completion of the Sripañcamivrata, had the MahäDhavalā copied and respectfully dedicated to her preceptor Māghanandimuni, as an act of Šāstradāna; providing āgama texts, one of the six essential duties of an householder. Though further details about Mallikabbe and her spouse Säntisenarāja are still lacking, yet it can be safely said that Mallikabbe, perhaps on the guidance of Devamati, did this act of greater significance, in the beginning of 12th century or vice versa. Māghanandi Siddhānatadeva was also a senior confrere of śubhacandra Siddhantadeva, in the Mandalinād principality.
The copysists of the Dhavală commentaries were also Jains and well-versed in Prakrit, Sanskrit and Kannada. They have taken extra care and bestowed keen interest in selecting 'Sitāle', the best variety of palm-leaf, more flexible and durable, with the maximum length of thirty inches long and 3 1/2 to 4 inches in width. Instead of using 'kantha', an iron style, to write on the palm-leaf, the devoted copysits have used a specially prepared ink that would last long for centuries. Miniature paintings on the palm-leaf wherever possible, is done with extraordinary details and care.
Subhacandradeva was the preceptor of Gangarāja, the general, Lakşmimati dandanayakiti, consort of Gangaraja, Devamati who caused the copying of DhavlaȚikā as an act of Šāstradāna
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