Progress of Prakrit and Jaina Studies

Author(s): Bhogilal J Sandesara
Publisher: Jain Cultural Research Society

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appointed as Professor and Head of the Department of Jaina philosophy and Prakrit studies in the Varanasi Sanskrit University. But before he could enjoy the fruits of his life-long endeavours and settle down to a more peaceful life, the band of destiny took him away. The world of Indology and particularly the domain of Jaina and Prakrit studies has lost in him a brilliant scholar and teacher and an indefatigable worker.
Again we mourn the death of Mr. Nanalal Chamanlal Mehta who was very well-known as a gifted connoisseur and researcher of Indian art; but he will be ever remembered as the pioneer who brought to light for the first time and systematically studied the Jaina paintings of Western India, which are sometimes aptly described as belonging to the Gujarat School of painting. Mr. Mehta was a high-placed I.C.S. officer, but found time for serious study and research from a busy official life. His paper pablished in the reputed art-journal Rupam in 1925, on the scroll-paintings of the Vasantavilása, an old Gujarātī Phāgupoem ('spring-poem') composed in the 15th century, was one of his remarkable contributions to the history of Indian art. This was followed by his magnum opus, Studies in Indian Painting. He also published Bharatiya Citrakala (Hindi) and Contribution of Islam to Indian Calture. He presided over the Fine Arts Section of the Seventh Session of the All India Oriental Conference held at Baroda in 1933, and delivered an address full of information and original interpretation. Recently in 1955, Mr. Mehta delivered three lectures on Indian art at the invitation of the Baroda University, and dealt in a masterly manner with the basic concepts of Indian art and evolution of the art of painting in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Mr. Mehta wielded a facile pea in Gujarati also and his numerous articles were published in standard Gujarati joumals like Jaina Sahitya Samsodhaka, Vasanta, Prasthana and Akhanda Ananda. Mr. Mehta had an excellent collection of old paintings, and but for his writings the critical study of secular and Jaina paintings of Western India might have begun much later. In the death of