The Institute of Jainology has been promoting the awareness of Jain philosophy worldwide launched the ‘Jainpaedia’ project in India at the Yogi Hall, Dadar, Mumbai on Sunday 25th October.
The project’s main objective is to create a contextualised database of the important Jain manuscripts currently in various collections in the UK. This database will be digitised and put on internet so that the manuscripts become accessible to lay people as well as the academics.
These ancient manuscripts form a rich heritage for the Jain philosophy but because most of them are written either in the ancient Indian language ‘Ardh Magdhi’ and the later ones mainly in Sanskrit with some in Gujarati or Hindi they are not understandable to almost all lay people. So far they have only been useful to researchers and academicians.
Special requirements for preserving these manuscripts intact means that direct access to them is severely restricted. By creating the database and putting it on line will mean that anyone can access this precious heritage and learn about the times when the manuscripts were created and about the manuscripts themselves.
The UK Government has made a grant of £365,000 with the Institute required to provide a matching amount to meet the total project cost of £730,000. Dr Mehool Sanghrajaka, Institute’s Director in London is also the Project Director. Professor Nalini Balbir is the Chief Editor whilst King’s College, University of London has been appointed as the main contractor.
Mr Paul Vetch a Senior member of the team developing the project at Kings College introduced the project and explained the various concepts involved in its development exhaustively. The database will comprise of illustrated collection of manuscripts. Each illustration will have several reference points which when clicked will provide a detailed description of the point referred to. In this manner each manuscript will have a detailed description of the author of the script, the scribe and the place where it was written and also include historical facts of the time relevant to the content of the script. The content will be translated in English, Hindi and Gujarati. The objective of this project is to prepare a pool of knowledge which would help the current and future generations of Jains and others to understand Jain philosophy in all its facets. The project would also help researchers and scholars from other religions of the world.
Smt. Nalini Madgaonkar compêred the whole program. Program started with introduction of Dr Kumarpal Desai, Institute’s Trustee in India and the Co-ordinator. He decribed the various activities undertaken by the institute at both national and international level over the last twenty years.
He emphasised the work being done by the Institute in preserving the rich treasure of manuscripts we have inherited. He talked about the publication of the catalogue of 1500 manuscripts in British Library collection in three volumes. He was proud of the fact that the Institute had ensured participation by all Jain sects from all over the world at every level in production of this catalogue.
The new lecture series titled ‘Jain Darshan Vyakhyanmala’ on Jain philosophy had its inaugural lecture delivered by Pujya Rakeshbhai Jhaveri. In his talk titled ‘Ahimsa Paramo Dharma’, he elaborated the finer aspects of the concept of ‘Ahimsa’ from Jain perspective its universal appeal in his own inimitable style.
Shri Ratibhai Chandaria, Chairman of the institute and Shri Nemubhai Chandaria, Deputy Chairman had welcomed the guests who included many dignitaries including Shri Pratapbhai Bhogilal, Shri Rasikbhai Doshi, Shri Arvind Doshi, Shri Manubhai Shah and various other dignitaries.
On this occasion Shri Manubhai Shah, Chairman, Ruby Mills, who has completed his successful career as an industralist spanning over of a period of seventy-five years, was felicitated. Shri Pratapbhai Bhogilal and Shri Arvindbhai Doshi were also felicitated. The program began with and concluded with devotional songs rendered by members of Dharampur Ashram.
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