A Brief History

In the 6th century BC, protests against the Hindu caste system and exploitation by Hindu priests led to the founding of Buddhism and Jainism. Jainism was founded by Mahavira, the twenty-fourth Tirthankaraor saint. All but the twenty-third and twenty-fourth Tirthankara'sare legendary figures who are said to have lived for millions of years. Mahavira was a contemporary of Buddha with a similar background; both were of noble birth and both renounced their former lives to live among ascetics. From the moment of his renunciation, Mahavira lived a life of extreme asceticism. The word "Jain" is derived from the Sanskrit word jinameaning "conqueror". It refers to the conquering of minds, passions and bodies through austerity to attain deliverance from the endless cycle of rebirth.

Jain Beliefs

Jains believe that the soul can only realize its supreme knowledge and attain unlimited happiness and salvation by practicing severe austerity which destroys undesirable karmas. Jains believe that the universe is infinite so they have no god. The also believe in reincarnation and salvation. Salvation is attained by good deeds such as temple building and extreme non-violence. Thus all Jains are strict vegetarians. Svetambaras (see "Jain Sects" below) wear a white mask over their mouths to prevent them from accidentally inhaling living things.

Jain Sects

The two main Jain sects are the Digambaras, the "Sky Clad", and the Svetambaras, the "white clad".
Digambarasbelieve that man must renounce all earthly possessions, including clothes, to achieve salvation. They do not believe in the original canonical texts.
Svetambarasbelieve in the original texts and follow them scrupulously. Pious Svetambaras carry all their earthly belongings with them. These include:
dhoti - a change of clothes which doubles as bedding
odhni - a covering
raho haran - a broom to dust resting places without harming living creatures
patra - a vessel to accept food given as a blessing
muhpatti - an eight-fold mask to cover the mouth

Jain Temples

Many Jain temples are located in Western India. Jains are prominent in Gujarat and have a strong visible presence in Rajasthan. Wealthy Jain merchants support temple building. Therefore, Jain temples are among the wealthiest in all India. We visited Jain temples in Osiyan and Jaisalmer. To view photographs of the Jain temples see "Picture Essays" below.

Picture Essays

• Osiyan A Temple Town
• Jaisalmer Jain Temples

Related Web Sites

• The Jain Study Circle An online magazine
• Jain Festivals List of annual Jain festivals in both Hindu and Gregorian calendars
• Jain History Brief outline and lots of links to Jainism sites
• Jain Information Center

Sources:
Living Wisdom: India,Richard Waterstone
India: Rajasthan,Knopf Guide
Rajasthan,Lonely Planet Guide