• Idol worship (murti-pujā) existed in Jainism even before the great sectarian divisions. Archaeological and literary evidence shows that Jina-images were made and venerated from early times, well before the split between Śvetāmbara and Digambaras. Examples cited by Jain scholars include early images from Mathura, Kankali Tila, and even a reference to an image worshiped in the Maurya period. This indicates that image-veneration was an established practice long before the sects formalized. ( jainknowledge.com)

• In this early phase, Jains worshipped idols in sanctuaries or temples as focal points for reverence, devotion, and ritual offerings. However, the idea that idol-worship is essential for moksha does not form part of Jain doctrine; the Tirthankaras themselves are formless in essence, and devotion can also be expressed through bhāva (inner reverence) and other practices. Mahavira, for example, is described in some narrative traditions as not worshipping an idol in the way later temple rituals would, highlighting that devotion did not originally depend on external images. ( jainknowledge.com)

• As time passed, the practices around idol-worship evolved differently in different communities. Some Śvetāmbara groups developed more formal temple worship (murtipūjā), with eightfold or later seventeenfold worship, while parts of the Digambara tradition emphasized bhava-pūjā (devotion in attitude) and placed different emphasis on object-worship. These developments occurred after the early period, contributing to the later sectarian distinctions. ( jainqq.org)

• For a quick sense of how early these ideas are viewed, sources note that the existence of Jina idols and temples dates back to at least the 2nd century BCE (and likely earlier), reinforcing that idol worship was an ancient Jain practice that predates the later formal divisions. ( jainknowledge.com)

You can read more here