Jains contributed to literary heritage of Ahmedabad's predecessor

AHMEDABAD: Even before the foundation of Ahmedabad more than 600 years back, Ashapalli, also known as Ashaval was home to scholars. The earliest manuscripts mentioning the town date back to the 12th century. Researchers however, are now mulling over one of the oldest manuscripts to get more information on the town and its customs and traditions.
Professor Ramji Savaliya, director of BJ Institute of Learning and Research, said that while historians point at Lilavaikaha - written by Jineshwarsuri in the Prakrit language in 1026 - as the oldest text written at Ashapalli, one of the oldest manuscripts available is of Narpati Jayacharya, written in 1176 AD.
"The study of the manuscript is still going on but it definitely shows Ashapalli as a centre of learning. From the translation of the text, we got to know that it was written by Narpati, a resident of Dhara, in the reign of Ajaypal in samvat 1232. Written in classical Sanskrit, it talks about astrology, good and bad omens and things needed for the well-being of the state. However, it also talks a lot about that period's architecture, customs, citizens and other social aspects. The translation of the manuscript has not been done yet," he said.
Other prominent manuscripts written before the foundation of Ahmedabad include Nirvana Lilavatisar, Munisuvrat Swami Charit and Vaad Sthal.