Arhat Parva and Dharanendra Nexus

The volume embodies the papers read at the B. L. Institute of Indology on Arhat Parsva and Dharanendra Nexus. As the background of the central theme are papers discussing ParAva's history, teachings, doctrines, and monastic discipline of his sect. The plausible factors behind connection of the Dharanendra with Pargva have been investigated. Also included are the surveys of the epigraphical as well as scriptural material related to Jina Pargva.

PROFESSOR M.A. DHAKY had been the Research Professor of Indian Art and Architecture at the L. D. Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad. For almost three decades he has been incharge of a monumental project, the now well-known Encyclopaedia of Indian Temple Architecture at the American Institute of Indian Studies, Varanasi. He has contributed scores of papers and a few monographs on the Indian art and architecture, some also on musicology, art-interpretation and, horticulture.

The present volume contains most of the papers read at the Seminar in 1987 organized by B.L. Institute of Indology in Delhi. It was convened by Prof. M.A. Dhaky. The press-ready manuscript had been given over to us by Prof. Dhaky about two-and-a-half years ago. Its printing, regrettably, could not be taken in hand immediately owing to certain difficulties at our end. We crave the indulgence of the contributing scholars for the tardiness in giving them the volume in print.

The Seminar had been attended by such stalwarts like the agama-specialist Pt. Dalsukh Malvaniya, the doyen of Jaina iconography (late) Dr. U.P. Shah, the noted epigraphers like Dr. K.V. Ramesh and Shri Madhav N. Katti, and of course several archaeologists and students of Jaina art and history. The papers in this volume, we feel (and the scholars possibly will endorse), cast fresh light on the problem of the connection between Arhat ParAva and Nagaraja Dharapendra and thus push forward the frontiers of research on that score by some measure, besides adding information on several facets of research and issues related with the doctrine, sect, followers and representations of Arhat ParAva. Hopefully, the purpose of organizing the seminar is to a large extent served.

My friend and colleague Shri N.P. Jain, in fact all of us associated with the B.L. Institute of Indology, wish to thank the scholars who participated in the Seminar, as also for their learned contributions by way of papers and by the discussions during deliberations. And we are specially beholden to Prof. Dhaky for competently convening the Seminar and for meticulously editing the volume.

**Contents and Sample Pages**