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Diksa: Consecration
467
Pāthaśālās, schools for sadhvis, are to be found chiefly among the Tapāgaccha sādhvis, in Gujarāta, the principal ones being at Ahmadābād and Pālitāņā. The sādhvis who follow the regular courses stay throughout in the town, but they can move from one upăśraya to another. At the upāśraya they continue to perform all their observances and go at fixed hours to follow their courses. Certain ones prepare for examinations, while others do not.68 Sometimes sādhvis come specially from distance to study in a pāthaśālā and, when their courses are over, return to their own areas.
b) Śramaņi Vidyāpitha: College for sådhvis
A Vidyāpisha is a "seat of knowledge", of study, a type of college; the vidyapitha of śramaņis is for sadhvis only. The initiative for this came from some Sthānakavāsi śrāvakas of Mumbai and environs who, after consulting some highly competent pandits, drew up with their help a programme of courses for a five-year period. 69 The vidyāpisha started in 1970 at Ghatkopar, an industriat quarter of Mumbai with a high percentage of Sthånakavāsis among the population. Sadhvis belonging to various gacchas of this sampradāya are sent there by their guruņis with the consent of the acārya. The Vidyapitha is at one and the same time an upāśraya and a study-centre, the courses taking place on the premises. The sådhvis observe all their rules, except that they are temporarily stationary, and sally forth daily in quest of food. Some vairāginis who are candidates for dikșă follow the same course's as the sădhvis. They live in another part of the same building, where they have their canteen. The sadhvis are of various ages, while the vairāginis for the most part are young. All belong to Gujarāta and their courses are in the Gujarāti language. All are required to follow the complete 5-year course and take the annual examinations.
68 At Ahmadābād, e.g., sādhvis attend regular classes on the 9 categories and on the Karmagrantha.
69 Śri D.K. Khetani, one of the founders of the Vidyapitha, gave me all this information during my stay in his home in February 1971, and during a brief visit in March 1976. In 1971 I was able to follow certain courses and talk daily with some of the sadhvis of the Vidyapitha, and in 1976 with the two pandits.
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