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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
which he delivered as Thakkar Vassanji lectures at University of Bombay is a pioneering study. This set the pattern for many more studies of this kind which have been carried out at the Decan college. He proved to be extiremely controversial because of his work on the Ramayana which brought him bouquets and bricks bats both. As a true scientist, whose sole objective was the search for truth, he remained undaunted.
All these achievents were but a few peaks in the high mountain range. His pioneering work in different branches of Archacology had won him many laurels. There are several fellowships and gold medals. He was the first Nehru Fellow in 1968. The Asiatic Society of Bombay and the Gujarat Sahitya Sabha awarded him silver and gold medals. The Asiatic Society of Bengal also awarded him Bruce Foote Gold Medal was very dear to him because he started his Stone Age archaeology by studying Bruce Foote's work. The crowing glory was the bestowal of Padma Bhushan in 1974.
Dr. Sankalia was a man of great contradictions. Physically, the weakest among Indian scholars, he became the greatest archaeologist of the country exploring regions from Kashmir to Kerala and Kutch to Assam. Those who have seen him in the field know too well how it is difficult to even for young students to keep pace with him. He will be out at 6 a.m. sharp, bathed, clean shaven and presentable. He walked very fast, and it was impossible to walk with him in the river valleys. Everybody must be out with him; that was a commandment which no one dared violate. The other inviolable rule was to return to the base camp before dark. In the excavation camp, even if the digging started at 8 a.m., every member of the team must be at work at 6 a.m. Even in the freezing cold of Rajasthan, he will be in the pottery yard at 6 a.m. and after dinner at 7 p.m. everybody must be present for the recording of antiquities found during the day. But this was most enjoyable hour for here he would excel himself. He would tell us the history of each artifact, its antiquity and function not only in India but even in other parts of world. Here he would shower on us all his encyclopaedic knowledge. One witnessed Dr. Sankalia's devotion to the cause of Archacology not only in the field but even outside. Archacology flew in his veins.
In my association wiht him, I did not see him even once taking leave on grounds of ill health, and his work has suffered on that score.
He taught very little but became one of the greatest teachers. This may sound somewhat absurd but it is a fact Dr. Sankalia never liked teaching which is usually spoon-felding; he would give you guidance, and make the student think and educate himself. This inculcated in his students a sort of self discipline which made him selfsuffcient. The number of student who obtained doctorate in Archacology under his guidance is legion, and may be a record in the country. And he preached what he practiced himself. IIe advised us not to increase the teaching load by way of spoon feeding because that would make students criples and as a result their faculty of
પથિક ♦ ત્રૈમાસિક – જુલાઈ-ઑગસ્ટ-સપ્ટેમ્બર, ૨૦૦૩ ૦ ૩
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