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Temple building is known to have been considered by the Jainas a source for obtaining salvation. For them their temples were in reality �prayers in stone� (Fergusson 1891: 26). Howevre, the construction of temple activities was a later addition in Jainism. As regards the architecture, the early Jain monks being mostly forest recluses and weandering ascetics, they lived in natural caves on sides or top of hills, which were situated away from human habitations. During the third-fourth century CE onwords the construction or establishment of temple activity gradually began in Jainism.

In this context we can recall the comment of Smith,

“The varying practical requirements of the cult, of course, had an effect on the nature of the buildings required for particular purpose�. (Smith 1911/1930: 9)

Temple architecture is a direct result of icon-or image worship which appears to have been prevalent among the Jainas since at least from the beginning of historic times. In their temple architecture the Jainas, while adopting the style prevalent in the places and times where and when they built their temples, also introduced certain characteristic features in keeping with their own culture and ideology, which tended to make it almost a distinct Jain art. In certain cases they created whole “cities of temples�.

Temple is the integral part of Jain worship. Every day Jainas worship the Jina in the temple and in few cases they keep a Jain image in their houses. Temple is the main place for worship, where besides the daily worship of the images by the religious offciants, religious books are kept, the Ä€°ù²¹³Ù¾±²õ or waving rites are attended largely by men, women and boys with sincere faith and devotion.

In the context of temple worship in Jainism, the Digambaras and the Åš±¹±ð³ÙÄå³¾²ú²¹°ù²¹²õ differ in some important hieratic points.

For instance Burgess mentioned that:

“The Digambaras bathe the images with abundance of water but Åš±¹±ð³ÙÄå³¾²ú²¹°ù²¹²õ use very little. The Digambaras may bathe and worship their images during temples, much less do they bathe or worship the images lest in so doing they might thereby kill, or indirectly cause the death of any living things, for to do so during the night they regard as a great sin. The digambaras wash their images with ±Ê²¹Ã±³¦Ä峾ṛt²¹ but the other do notâ€� (Burgess 1903: 459).