Jainism- Art, Architecture, Literature & Philosophy

About the Authors Dr. Kamalakar Gundepudi obtained his Master's Degree in 1975 from Andhra University and Ph.D. in 1985 from Nagarjuna University, He is with Birla Archaeological & Cultural Research Institute (BACRI) Hyderabad since 1978 and presently he is the Director of BACRI. He did his P.G.Diploma in Museology from Osmania University in 1995 and is the recipient of Salar Jung Gold Medal for that year. From the same University he obtained his P.G. Diploma in Archival Science & Manuscript logy in the year 1999. He is a recognized supervisor for guiding Ph.D. students in the field of Archaeology and allied subjects and examiner for Post Graduate and Doctoral examinations for many universities. To his credit he has organized several national and inter-national seminars as Director of BACRI on different topics. He has Edited and Published several publications apart from several research articles on archaeology and con- servation.

He has participated and directed several excavations since 1978 which include Veerapuram, Vaddamanu, Carapadu, Pudur etc. He has also participated in under-water explorations off Arabian Sea at Dwaraka and Be dwaraka under-taken by National Institute of Oceanography (Goa) in collaboration with BACRI.

Dr. (Mrs.) Haripriya Rangarajan obtained her Ph.D. degree in Indian Culture from the Gujarat University in 1987. She specialized in the iconography of Vishnu and has contributed articles to academic journals, national seminars and popular magazines. Her doctoral thesis was published in 1996 under the title Spread of Vaisnavism in Gujarat up to 1600 AD. (A study with Special Reference to the Iconic forms of Vishnu). Her book on Ramanuja Sampradaya in Gujarat. A Historical Perspective was published in 1996.

Her third work entitled Varaha Images in Madhya Pradesh - An Iconographic Study was published in 1997 and the Asiatic Society of Bombay has awarded the Silver Medal for this work in 1998. She is a recipient of Indian Council of Historical Studies fellowship for her research studies.

Presently she is working on a project entitled Varahi Images in Orissa; An Iconographic Study. She is keen in organizing and participating in the academic activities. To her credit she has organized several seminars and work-shops in close association with well-known museums and research institutions.

Preface The National Seminar on Jainism was organized during early 1998 jointly by the Birla Archaeological & Cultural Research Institute, Salar Jung Museum and Osmania University - Hyderabad. The seminar as aimed has brought out several research results pertaining to Jainism in Andhra Pradesh in particular and the entire India in general.

It is at a right time, when the world is facing increasing crime and violence, this seminar is rightly / organized to remember the preaching of Jainism which preaches peace, simplicity, non-violence and universal love.

Knowledge is endless. It is an ocean with no known depths. Curiosity and the spirit of exploration lead to the discovery of new things. Albeit, Jainism is one of the ancient religions of India, there is no end for the' information on the subject as one finds more and more new information as he goes on probing. Seminars like this are definitely the right places where discoveries hitherto not known to the world or the new dimensions of the already discovered information adding new light .to the subject are brought to the knowledge of not only the well informed but also the interested general public. As every scholar is aware, Andhra Desa is a repository of information on Jainism through sculptures of different media, monumental remains, epigraphs, literature etc. There are many Jaina sites in Andhra Pradesh like Konakondla, Peddamudiyam, Danavulapadu, Chebrolu, Dharmavaram, Vaddamanu, Vijayawada, Ramatirtham, Medak, Patancheru, Gurubhaktakonda, Chippagiri, Kambadur, Kolanupaka etc. The famous and revered Jaina teacher Kundakundacharya, who is believed to have authored several works like Niyama Sara, Mulacharas, Samaya Sara, Bhavaprabhata etc., hails from Konakondla in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. It is quite possible that Konakondla may be a false form of pronunciation derived from the term Kundakunda. Another important factor concerning Jainism of Andhra Pradesh is that one of the two Jaina Stupas so far discovered in India is located in this state at a place called Vaddamanu in Guntur District.

This publication contains research papers on various aspects of Jainism like art, architecture, philosophy etc. presented and 'discussed at the seminar on Jainism. We are sure this publication will be of some help to scholars and general public who are interested in the subject.

We are grateful to all those who helped us in organizing the seminar and also in bringing out this publication.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages