Jain worldview does not worship a single creator god. Instead, it honors enlightened beings called Tirthankaras (Ford-makers) who have achieved kevala jñāna (perfect omniscience) and show the path to liberation. There is one ultimate reality in Jain philosophy, but it is not a personal god who creates or governs the universe. The Tirthankaras are revered as supreme teachers who have conquered bondage and help others follow the same path.

Why 24 Tirthankaras?

• Time is seen as cyclic, with countless beings attaining enlightenment. The Jain tradition recognizes 24 Tirthankaras across different cosmic ages who have re-established the correct path (dharma) for humans.
• Each Tirthankar is a perfect exemplar of right conduct, knowledge, and detachment. By venerating them, Jains remember universal principles such as non-violence (ahimsa), truth (satya), non-stealing, celibacy, and non-possessiveness.
• Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankar in this cycle, is often highlighted because he is the most recent and best-known teacher in many Jain communities, but he is not regarded as the sole or only god.

Different traditions (Digambaras and Śvetāmbaras) may have slight variations in emphasis, temple practices, and canonical texts, but both share the core idea: venerating Tirthankaras as perfected souls who illuminate the path to liberation, not as gods who demand worship in a theistic sense.

If you’d like, I can summarize a specific Tirthankara’s life and teachings or explain how a typical Jain puja to a Tirthankar is performed.