Plate – Puran Chand Nahar

Summary

The colour plate presents a portrait of Puran Chand Nahar, who is celebrated in this issue for his lifelong dedication to preserving Jain heritage. Born into a wealthy merchant family in Calcutta in the late nineteenth century, Nahar channelled his resources into philanthropy. A profile of him in the journal notes that he collected rare Jain manuscripts and inscriptions, compiled them into works such as ‘Jain Lekh Sangrah’ and ‘Prakrit Sutra Ratnamala’ and studied the history of holy siteshttps://jaingpt.org/knowledge/prabandhavali_-_collection_of_articles_of_late_puranchand_nahar_035203_035203#:~:text=,to%20collecting%20and%20preserving%20knowledge. He established the Gulab Kumari Library in 1916, which houses valuable manuscripts and continues to serve researchershttps://jaingpt.org/knowledge/prabandhavali_-_collection_of_articles_of_late_puranchand_nahar_035203_035203#:~:text=,to%20collecting%20and%20preserving%20knowledge. Nahar believed in educational reform and advocated for women’s education and inter‑religious tolerancehttps://jaingpt.org/knowledge/prabandhavali_-_collection_of_articles_of_late_puranchand_nahar_035203_035203#:~:text=,intolerance%20of%20some%20other%20religious. The plate complements the accompanying biography by giving readers a visual connection to this benefactor. His dignified bearing in the portrait conveys sincerity and calm; the formal attire reflects his status as a respected businessman and community leader. The caption likely identifies him and the plate number, situating the portrait as part of a series of notable figures in Jain history. Through such visual documentation, the journal honours individuals whose efforts safeguarded Jain literature and culture. The inclusion of Nahar’s image underlines the editors’ intent to recognise not just abstract ideas but the human agents who make religious and scholarly work possible. The plate also symbolises continuity: by preserving his likeness, the community links past achievements to present readers and future students.