Aryanandi (born 1907)
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Indian English Template:Infobox religious biography Template:Jainism Acharya Aryanandi was a prominent Jain monk of the early 20th century. He is best known for his work in establishing several Jain schools in the Indian state of Maharashtra.<ref name="google1" /> Several Jain monks before him have also been named Aryanandi.<ref name="nam" /><ref name="granth" />
Biography
Acharya Aryanandi was born in the village of Dhorkin Also Known As Aryanandi Nagar, Paithan, Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, India.<ref name="ellora" /><ref name="seva" /> He has been the only Jain acharya from the Saitwal community in recent times. He was married in 1927 and had three children, however in 1953 he retired and decided to give up the worldly life. He was He took the brahmacharya vrata from Acharya Shantisagar in 1955.<ref>Swahitwal sandesh, p.6</ref> He was initiated as a muni by Muni Samanthabhadra at Kunthalgiri, Maharashtra, on 13 November 1959. He took sallekhana on 8 February 2000 at Navagad (Parbhani).<ref>आचार्य श्री १०८ आर्यनंदी जी महाराज, 2012</ref>
Contributions
He was held in high esteem and is best remembered for the setting up of several Jain schools in Maharashtra,<ref name="google1"/> including the Acharya Arya Nandi Lecture Hall in Ellora, Aurangabad district, Maharashtra.<ref name="pushp" /> The Jain Gurukul at Ellora was also established by him.<ref name="data" /><ref name="gurukul" /> The noted German Jainologist, Hermann Kuhn, studied Jain scriptures extensively under the tutelage of Acharya Aryanandi.<ref name="benadi" /><ref name="samaj" />