Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
We finally entered our first 15th century Jain Temple, struck by how the
tirthank-
aras
/prophet's statues resembled
Buddhas
. Silly me didn't know that both Jainism and
Buddhism not only emerged in the same century, but hold very similar beliefs.
The 15th Century Jain Temples in Complex Number One
Each Jain temple usually stood in a courtyard surrounded by
more
temples, pavilions, a
riot of spires and decoration. (I think they all contributed to the 863 temple total but won't
swear to it.) Each courtyard also held
individual alcoves
containing a statue of a
tirthank-
ara
(prophet), 24 in all. If the statues weren't around the perimeter, bigger temples had all
24 statues inside them. People sat in the courtyards silently reading prayer books, with of-
ferings set in front of them, while making their devotions.
A constant flow of pilgrims made their way around those praying in the courtyards, entered
a temple, said prayers, left and went on to the next temple. Some temples were entered by
stairs below ground level while others were accessed by a flight of stairs going up. Other
temples had multiple levels leading up and down inside, infinite combinations. I got com-
pletely turned around and, left to my own devices, would have wandered lost until the
priests threw me out at sundown.
Rice was the most popular offering, arranged in swastika form, on offering tables in
front of statues and temples. The swastika is an important Jain symbol representing the
seventh saint and is used in ceremonies. Individual grains of hard rice lay on the ground
throughout the complex. You wouldn't believe how badly it hurts walking for hours over
those little devils. So painful! I was forever leaping from foot to foot exclaiming, "ow, ow,
ow." Keep in mind my earlier recommendation to bring a pair of socks, slipper socks and/
or temple socks.
Next? The entertaining, "Confession Camel." It is said that if a person can squeeze
between the front legs of a life-sized replica of a camel, all sins will be absolved. I "con-
fessed" my sins while painfully elbowing my way through the narrow space between the
camel's legs. Not easy, crawling on the dirt floor, but Travels With Sheila no longer has any
sins to be punished for in the hereafter. There's no way half of ex-Marine could get through
the camel's legs. He'll just have to atone in some other way.
The Digambar Naked Temple Sect
Jainism is divided into two major sects: the
Digambara
sect, and the Svetambara sect.
The Digambar sect is generally referred to as the "Naked" sect. Senior Digambar (ascetic)
monks wear no clothes, following the practice of Lord Mahavira. They do not consider
themselves nude, and believe this represents a refusal to give in to the demands of the body.
The sky is their cover and they don't cover their bodies no matter what the weather. These
ascetics shave their heads, travel barefoot, only eat the amount of food that fits in their palm
or fist, and own just two possessions: a peacock feather broom and water gourd.
The
Svetambara
sect of monks usually wear white maintaining that nudism is no longer
practicable. However, both sects believe in the same principles.
