Literary contribution of Jains lauded

 BIJAPUR: The credit of establishing the first ever women's university in the world goes to the Jain community, said literary figure Ham Pa Nagarajaiah.

Inaugurating the two-day state level seminar on Kannada Jain Literature and Women, organised jointly by Karnataka State Women's University and Shrut Samvardhan Samsthan, Meerat (UP), here on Tuesday, he said it was in 860 AD at Vedal in Tamil Nadu that the first women's university was established, during the regime of Rashtrakutas, in which more than 900 students studied.

Contribution of Jains to Kannada literature is immense. Jain poets gave language diversity to Kannada, he said.

Participating as chief guest, Hampi Kannada University former vice chancellor M M Kalburgi lamented that despite the state having a rich treasure of Jain scripts and presence of a number of Basadis, the Jain community is reduced to a minority in Karnataka. Basadis are neglected and Jain literature is not accorded the status it deserves, he noted.

Evaluation registrar Mahesh Chintamani, Kannada department head Vijayashri Sabarad, S S Vijaydevi and M Nagaraj were present.

Photo caption: Literary personality Pa Ham Nagarajaiah inaugurated Two days state level seminar on Kannada Jain Literature and Women arranged jointly by Karnataka State Womens Universityand Shrut Samvardhan Samsthan, Meerat ( U.P) on Tuesday at Bijapur.