In Jainism, there is no belief in a creator God who controls the universe. The emphasis is on personal effort (upaay) to realise the true self and attain liberation (moksha).

Key points about deity worship in Jainism:

• Reverence to Tirthankaras and highly enlightened beings (arihants) is common. Images or idols of the Tirthankaras are treated as focal points for contemplation and moral inspiration, not as gods who grant universal power or intervene in the world.
• Devotional practices (bhakti) are generally directed toward the virtues exemplified by these beings—non-violence, truth, non-attachment—rather than asking for favors or miracles.
• There is a distinction between reverence (samman) and worship that presumes a personal, intervening deity. Jain practice tends to emphasize disciplined conduct, right belief, and disciplined effort over ritualistic worship aimed at propitiation.
• Both major Jain traditions (Śvetāmbara and Digambara) honor the Tirthankaras, but their temple rituals and interpretive emphasis may differ. Neither tradition treats a deity as the creator or ultimate ruler of the cosmos; liberation depends on one’s own spiritual discipline.

In short: Deity worship exists as a respectful homage to embodied wisdom and virtuous exemplars, not as worship of a sovereign creator or controller of the universe. The path remains personal ethical discipline, right knowledge, and right conduct.

If you’d like, I can provide a concise, traditional wording (arth) from Jain scriptures that explains how Tirthankaras are revered and why insistence on personal effort is central.