Unknown Pilgrims

Author(s): N Shanta
Publisher: Sri Satguru Publications Delhi

Page 39

Author's Preface
as it is in the day to day life of its subjects, demands thanks to the sympathy, knowledge, support and welcome of many people. No word could possibly express fully my infinite gratitude. I cannot be content to record simply a list of names but prefer, rather, to try to stay as near as I can to the situation of these past years by recalling, if not all the names known to me, at least a great proportion of them and by stating the particular part they played in the accomplishing of this study (and sometimes, of course, one or other performed several functions therein).
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Given the variety of places and the span of years involved, the simplest thing is to follow a geographical order.1 I must add that up till 1975, being fully involved in another project, I was able to give only a very limited amount of time to the present study. However, as my interest in the subject was already fully awakened and the subject so vast, I tried to work a little on it each day and to take eagerly every chance that came my way to make new contacts.
Instruction, Kindliness and general concern on the part of scholars
At Varanasi: Professor M. Metha, during the course of many years, when he was director of the P.V. Institute, ungrudgingly answered my many questions and gave me wise counsel; at the end of '79 he most kindly helped me to revise my first draft at the University of Pune where he is at present a Professor. I would like to express to him my warmest thanks.
I would also like to thank:
Dr Gokulchandra Jain, of untiring helpfulness, who was always ready to give me information on one subject or another, to lend me books, give me addresses, introduce me to somebody and that in the happy family atmosphere of his home where Shrimati Jain also played her part.
1 In order to simplify, proper names are given here without diacritical marks, except in the case of Sadhvis. The names of towns and states follow the usual spellings. The study itself, however, follows other prinicples of orthography: cf. technical note.