Observations & Views:
Published by Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, Delhi, India, 1998; 280 pages, 11"x9", 325 photographs, 50 in color, fine art paper.
All parents wish to introduce their children to their religion and culture. In their heart of hearts, they yearn that their sons and daughters should enjoy and appreciate the qualities and traits that characterize their religious beliefs. We Jains living in this part of the world are no exception. We have seen and experienced Jainism in India. We have a strong desire to communicate our experiences to our youngsters who are growing up in this country. We ourselves would like to know more about the various places of pilgrimage, Jain images, scholarly monks, and traditions. However, we have limited resources; in particular, time. This book, 'Jainism: A Pictorial Guide To The Religion Of Non-violence' will greatly help us in this respect.
Writing "About This Book," the author states, "Again and again, while frequenting those remote places of religious worship, the wanderer will be fascinated by the sight of turrets, cupolas and lofty spires crowning a mountain range or lying nestled in the lap of mother earth. Whether it is a large stone-image of a Jina on the wayside bearing the marks of many a century, or a row of Tirthankaras chiselled into a huge boulder which suddenly comes into view around a corner, the beholder will for longer than just a fleeting moment be in accordance with the Jaina saints of old who crisscrossed this vast subcontinent barefooted for the sole purpose of keeping a faith alive that teaches, more so than any other religion, reverence to all that lives &endash; humans, animals, plants. The Jaina saints of today are still following that path." This sums up the main import of the book.
The book presents pictorial accounts of places of Jain pilgrimage in Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Maharashtra, Central India, Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Bihar. These are interspersed with articles on Jainism, Jain art and architecture, Jain symbols and mantras, and social traditions by scholars like Dr. Klaus Bruhn, Dr. Jyoti Prasad Jain, Dr. Noel King, and Dr. Vilas Sanghave. Photographs with appropriate captions of various scholarly monks and nuns are also included. The pictures of Jain idols and of other exquisite monuments of architecture and sculpture constitute the highlights of the book. 'Jainism: A Pictorial Guide To The Religion Of Non-Violence' is immensely enjoyable. It furnishes a valuable educational experience.