Jainism in Maharashtra

Summary

The Maharashtra piece (not available in the scanned text) can be reconstructed from secondary sources. It notes that the earliest Jain inscription in Maharashtra dates to the 2nd century B.C. and was found in a cave near Pale village in Pune districthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jainism_in_Maharashtra#:~:text=Jainism%20in%20Maharashtra%20has%20a,136%2C%20dated%20981%20CE. This inscription, written in Jain Prakrit, includes the Navkar Mantra. The first known Marathi inscription, dated 981 CE, appears at Shravanabelagola in Karnatakahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jainism_in_Maharashtra#:~:text=Jainism%20in%20Maharashtra%20has%20a,136%2C%20dated%20981%20CE. Jainism in Maharashtra was patronised by dynasties such as the Śilaharas and Rāṣṭrakūṭas, whose forts and cities often housed Jain templeshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jainism_in_Maharashtra#:~:text=Jainism%20%20in%20Maharashtra%20was,remains%20are%20found%20in%20them. Texts like the Shankardigvijaya and Shivlilamruta suggest that large numbers of Marathi people followed Jainism in ancient timeshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jainism_in_Maharashtra#:~:text=Texts%20such%20as%20the%20Shankardigvijaya,Jainism%20in%20the%20ancient%20period. The article probably surveys important cave complexes (Ellora, Nasik and Manmodi), hilltop shrines like Mangi‑Tungi, and temples such as Shantinath at Ramtek and Gajpanth, which attest to the region’s enduring Jain heritagehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jainism_in_Maharashtra#:~:text=.