In Jainism, Mahavir (Vardhamana Mahavira) is revered as a great Tirthankara and teacher, not as a creator god to be worshipped. Here’s the simple reasoning:

• Jainism is not theistic in the sense of worshipping a supreme creator. It teaches that liberation (moksha) comes through one's own efforts—right conduct, knowledge, and spiritual discipline.
• A Tirthankara like Mahavir is honored as an enlightened guide who showed the path to liberation. He shows the way, but he does not grant salvation or demand worship as a deity.
• Worship in Jain practice is typically directed toward the exalted souls (Arihants and Siddhas) through reverence, meditation, and reflection on their teachings, rather than prayers to a god. Idols or images of Mahavir in temples serve as focal points for devotion and practice, not as objects of deity worship.
• There are two major Jain traditions—Digambar and Shwetambar. Both honor Mahavir as the 24th Tirthankara, but there are differences in rituals and iconography between them. In both, the core idea remains: Mahavir is to be respected for his truth and guidance, not worshipped as a god.

If you’re asking because you’ve heard debates about “worship,” the key point is: Jains may venerate and study Mahavir’s teachings, and they may show deep respect in rituals, but salvation is understood to come from one’s own effort, not from worship of Mahavir as a deity.