Risht Samucchaya

Author(s): Durgadevacharya, A S Gopani
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Page 25

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Munshiji, to the effect that if the Singhi Jain Series be associated with the Bhāratīya Vidya Bhavan, both the institutions would not only be admirably progressing but the Series would get permanence and the Bhavan, unique honour and fame by its hereby becoming an important centre for the studies of Jain culture and the publication of Jain literature. This wellintentioned desire of Munshiji was much liked by me and I conveyed it in a proper form to Singhiji who was, besides being a Founder-Member of the Bhavan, also an intimate friend of Munshiji since long. Eventually he welcomed this idea. I also came to a final decision of associating the Scrics with the Bhavan, having consulted my most sincere friend, life-long companion and co-worker, Pt. Sukhlalji, who is a well-wisher and an active inspirer of the Series, and who is also an esteemed friend of Babu Bahadur Singhji. Luckily we all four met in Bombay in the bright half of Vaisakh (V. S. 1999) and auspicious day we all sat together and unanimously resolved, at the residence of Munshiji, to entrust the Series to the Bhavan.
on one
According to that resolution, the publication of the Series thereafter began under the management of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan under my sole supervision and direction.
In addition to transferring all sorts of copyright of the Series, Singhiji also donated a liberal sum of Rs. 10,000 which will be spent on erecting a hall, to be named after him, in a prominent place in the Bhavan. In appreciation of this generous donation of Singhiji, the Bhavan has also resolved to style permanently the Department of Jain Studies as the "Singhi Jain Sastra Sikṣāpiṭha".
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In the mean time we considered to purchase for the Bhavan a well-equipped library of a retired professor living in Calcutta and consequently I was entrusted with the work of making a proper move in the matter. I then went to Calcutta for this very purpose and started negotiations through Singhiji with the professor whose demand was somewhere about Rs. 50,000/-. Singhiji asked me just casually as to what arrangement had been made for meeting with the costs. I promptly replied that there was no cause for worry so long