In a remote, densely forested valley of the Vindhya range in Madhya Pradesh, explorers have discovered a series of rock-cut inscriptions dating back to the 3rd-century BCE. The epigraphs, written in Prakrit, identify the site as a 'Library and Shelter for Ascetics,' established under the patronage of a local merchant guild.
The inscriptions list titles of lost Jain canonical texts and specify rules for the preservation of manuscripts within the grotto. This site represents one of the earliest documented libraries in Indian history, highlighting the deep Sanatan and Jain commitment to the preservation of knowledge and philosophy.