In 1955 Lalaji had been to Badrinath alongwith late Dr. Hira Lal
Jain, Shri Yashpal Jain Shri Vishnu Prabhakar and other eminent persons.
At that time he felt the necessity of a Jain Temple and Dharamsahala at
Haridwar where there was none. The U.P. Government granted to the Trust
created by Lalaji about 6000 sq. ft. of land where a Library, Dharmshala,
Dispensary and Jain Temple have been constructed.
There was no Jain Temple at Kurukshetra, another Indian
Historical, place where lakhs of people bathe in the holy tank at the time
of Surya-Grahana and where supposedly the famous fight took place between
Kauravas and Pandavas. Yogiraj Krishna gave his sermons on which the
religious book Geeta is based. The Trust has got 3000 sq. yds. of land for
construction of Jain Temple, Dharamshala, Library and Dispensary from the
Kurukhestra Development Board and the construction work is in progress.
In 1959 Lalaji�s second grand daughter, Smt. Vijaya Jain was
studying in Birla School at Pilani, a famous Educational Center in the
Country established by Birlas. He had been there and thus felt the
necessity of a Dharmshala, a good Library and a Jain Temple there. The
trust has been able to get land there and, the construction work is
complete.
The Trustees have also donated to many individuals and
institutions such its Prime Minister�s Relief� Fund, for benevolent
causes.
DR. VILAS ADINATH SANGAVE
Hon. Director, Shahu Research Institute,
Shivaji University, Kolhapur
Dr. Vilas A. Sangave, who has carved a distinguished place for
himself in the field of Jain Studies and Sociology, was born on the 2nd
June, 1920. He was educated at Poona and Bombay where he won his B.A.,
M.A., and Ph.D. with distinction. His Ph.D. thesis on Sociology of Jain
Community provides an ample proof of his depth of knowledge both in the
fields of Jainism and Sociology. After having held successfully the
positions of Head of the Department of Sociology in Karnatak College,
Dharwad, Rajaram College, Kolhapur, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, he
happens now to adorn the Honorary Directorship of Shahu Research
Institute, Shivaji University, Kolhapur.
Dr. Vilas Sangave has to his credit several research books and
papers on Sociology and Social Anthropology in Marathi and English. His
books in Marathi have run into many editions, have been translated into
Kannada and Gujarati and have received prizes for best books from Bombay,
Poona and Kolhapur Universities in Maharashtra. In recent years Research
Volumes on �Rajarshi Shahu Chhatrapati Papers� edited by Dr. Vilas Sangave
have been very much appreciated.
Among Dr, Vilas Sangave�s research publications in Jainology
(i) Jaina Community : A Social Survey,
(ii) Life and Legacy of Mahavira : A Social Study,
(iii) History of Dakshin Bharat Jaina Sabha,
(iv) Sacred Shravana Belagola : A Socio-Religious Study,
(v) Hirachand Nemchand: The Pioneer of Jaina Social Revorm
Movement,
(vi) Aspects of Jaina Religion,
(vii) The Jaina Path of Ahimsa, and
(viii) Jaina Culture: Tradition and Impact
are considered as significant contributions to studies in Jaina Society,
History and Religion.
A renowned speaker in English, Marathi and Hindi and closely
associated with several Universities and national level Research
Institutes in Social Sciences and Jainology, Dr. Vilas Sangave has been
specially honoured by the University of Cambridge (U.K.) in 1985 and by
the Government of Bihar in 1989 for his distinctive services to research
studies in Jainology. As a scholar member of special Delegation of
International Jaina Community, Dr. Vilas Sangave participated in the
presentation of �The Jain Declaration on Nature� to His Royal Highness
Prince Philip at Backingharn Palace in London in October, 1990. Dr. Vilas
Sangave is also known for his lectures on Jain Social History delivered in
several Universities in India.
