Svetambara Sthanakvasi Jain

• Who they are: A sub-tradition of Śvetāmbara Jainism. They identify as Svetambara but reject image/idol worship and temple rituals, choosing prayer halls called sthanakas for their practices. They are sometimes called Dhundhiya or Sadhumargi. You can read more here .

• Key beliefs:

- Non-idol worship (aniconic worship): They do not worship statues or temples as essential for spiritual progress. - Shaving off idol-centric rituals: Instead of temple puja, they focus on internal devotion, ethical conduct, and study. - Monastic conduct: Ascetics (yatis) wear white clothes and often cover the mouth with a cloth (muhapatti) to minimize harm to tiny life forms.

• How they differ from other Śvetāmbara groups:

- Murtipujaka Śvetāmbara (temple idols) vs Sthanakvasi (non-idol worship). - Sthanakvasis use sthanakas (prayer halls) rather than derasar/temple worship. - Some sources say they recognize a subset of Śvetāmbara scriptures (traditionally around 31 of them), focusing on non-idolatrous practices.

• Relation to Digambar and other Śvetāmbara groups:

- Digambar Jain monks traditionally go naked and have different canonical opinions; Sthanakvasi are Śvetāmbara and follow the non-idol-worship branch within Śvetāmbara. - Terapanthi is another Śvetāmbara offshoot that also emphasizes aniconic practice, built later as a distinct path.

• Practical impact for followers:

- Temples with idols are not the central place of worship for Sthanakvasi; gatherings occur in sthanakas. - Daily life and rituals emphasize ahimsa (non-violence), discipline, and scriptural study over external idol rituals.

If you’d like, I can share a brief summary of how their daily schedule in a sthanak looks or point to more JainKnowledge resources. You can read more here .