Short answer: Yes. A Sthanakvasi can progress on the Jain path and attain purushartha (spiritual evolution) even without performing regular Jin Puja of idols.

What Jin Puja means in Jain practice

• In many Śvetāmbara and Digambara traditions, Jin Puja (pūjā of the Jina) involves ritual veneration of Tirthankaras, often with idols or symbolic representations, offerings, and prayers.
• Sthanakvasi practice is aniconic: they do not worship physical idols in temples. Their focus is inner devotion (bhavna) and disciplined conduct, not external idol worship.

How a Sthanakvasi can evolve without Jin Puja

• Core path: Right faith (saddhā), right knowledge (jñāna), and right conduct (caritra) as the foundation. These remain the same for all Jain paths.
• Practices a Sthanakvasi emphasizes instead of idol puja:

- Samayik (meditation for a fixed time), swadhyāya (self-study of Jain scriptures), and following the five major vows (mahavratas) or applicable vows. - Internal bhavna (mangal bhavna or reverence) for the Tirthankaras rather than external offerings to idols. - Ethical disciplines: ahimsa (non-violence), anuvrata or mahavrata, satya (truth), brahmacharya, aparigraha (non-attachment).

• Over time, sincere practice of these principles leads to purification of the mind and spiritual progress, just as formal Jin Puja can for others.

Important nuances

• Digambar vs Śvetāmbara: Jin Puja and temple rituals differ across traditions. Sthanakvasi belong to the Śvetāmbara umbrella but advocate aniconic worship. Some Śvetāmbara communities emphasize idol worship more, while Sthanakvasi emphasize bhavna and non-idolic forms.
• If a practitioner later adopts a form of reverence that includes symbolic, non-idolic remembrance of the Jina, that can be integrated without changing the core principle of aniconic practice.

Bottom line

• Regular Jin Puja is not a prerequisite for spiritual ascent. A Sthanakvasi can evolve through disciplined ethics, meditation, self-study, and bhavna, staying true to their aniconic approach.

If you’d like, I can point you to specific JainKnowledge resources that discuss Sthanakvasi practices and their approach to bhavna and puja.