In Jainism, menstruation (rajswala avastha) is seen as a natural bodily process. The soul does not become impure, but traditionally some ritual and practical restrictions are followed in many Jain families.

These rules can vary a lot by family, city/village, and by Śvetāmbara / Digambara customs. I’ll list what is commonly prohibited in more orthodox practice:

1. Religious / Temple‑related restrictions

During menstruation, a woman is often asked not to:

• Go to temple / derāsar
• Do mūrti-pūjā (touch or bathe idols)
• Do darśan from near the garbhagṛha (inner sanctum)
• Touch religious books (Āgams, stotras, paṭs, yantras, etc.)
• Do formal pūjā, āratī, snatra pūjā, etc. at home
• Take or start special vrats (upavās, aṭhāī, oli, pakkhī, etc.)
• Recite stotras aloud in front of idols (some allow mental japa only)

These rules are about ritual shuddhi, not about insulting the woman.

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2. Household / social restrictions (vary a lot)

In more conservative Jain homes, for the first 3–4 days some of these may be followed:

• Not cooking for the whole family
• Not serving food to others
• Using separate utensils, which are then washed separately
• Avoiding touching others too much (especially very elderly or very devout people)
• Sometimes sleeping separately, or on a separate mat

In many modern Jain homes, these are softened or not followed at all, except the temple / idol rules.

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3. What is generally allowed (and often encouraged)

Even in traditional views, she can:

• Do sāmāyik‑type quiet reflection mentally
• Do japa / nām‑smaraṇ in the mind
• Listen to pravachan (where families allow)
• Rest, eat properly, and take care of her health

Jain dharma always supports ahiṃsā towards oneself also, so over‑fasting, over‑work or neglecting health during periods is not encouraged.

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4. Differences & changing practice

• There is no direct Jain scriptural order that the woman’s soul becomes impure. The restrictions are mainly from later ācār‑texts and community tradition, related to ritual purity.
• Śvetāmbara and Digambara communities may differ in details (e.g., number of days, strictness about scriptures and temple visit).
• Many present‑day Jains follow only minimum rules (like not touching idols) and treat menstruation simply as a time to rest.

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If you want to read a simple Jain explanation of this topic, you can see this short Q&A on JainKnowledge: “You can read more here ”