Manuscripts form the largest category of written matter which could be constituted as the legacy of India’s thought and heritage. The initial use of palm leaves called for the long narrow format which continued even after the introduction of paper.
The Muni Punyavijayaji Collection of manuscripts at the LD Museum, many of them illustrated, has many splendid specimens of aesthetic and historical merit, landmarks in the history of Indian painting in general and that of Jaina miniature painting in particular.
Among the earliest painted book covers, the Jinadatta Suri patli, datable to the 12th century and the other one representing 16 Vidyādevis, have become important in the chronology of Jaina painting. Amongst the illustrated palm leaf manuscripts, the Chaturvidha Sangha from Parshavnath Charitra, the Kalpasutra, Kalakacharya Katha, Uttaradhyana Sutra and Sangrahani Surta are examples for early illustrated paper manuscripts.
