Here is a simple guide to the common parts you’ll find on a Jain pooja (puja) plate and what they mean.

• Kalash (pot with water)

- Purpose: Symbolizes auspiciousness, purifying waters, and the presence of living beings. In many households, a few drops or a small cup of water is kept for ritual use. - Jain angle: Water is offered as a token of respect and to refresh the mind and senses.

• Shree/Deity idol or image (Tirthankar or Yaksha/Yakshini)

- Purpose: Central focus for reverence and meditation during the puja. - Jain angle: The image represents the Tirthankar’s ideal and helps the devotee recall virtuous qualities like non-violence, truth, and restraint.

• Lamps (Deepa or diya)

- Purpose: Symbolizes light, removing darkness (ignorance). Light is offered with a prayer for clarity and auspicious energy. - Jain angle: Light is a reminder of inner purity and steady moral conduct.

• Incense sticks (Agarbatti) or camphor (Kapoor)

- Purpose: Fragrance to sanctify the space and invite divine presence. - Jain angle: Fragrance is a sign of cultivating purity of the mind and environment.

• Bell (Ghanti)

- Purpose: Produces sound that helps focus the mind and mark the rhythm of the prayer. - Jain angle: Sound reminds us to maintain right conduct and awareness in duties.

• Flowers (Phool)

- Purpose: Offer beauty and fresh, positive energy to the Tirthankar or the sacred image. - Jain angle: A symbol of non-attachment to things of the world and a reminder to cultivate inner beauty.

• Kumkum and Roli (red vermilion and sacred powder)

- Purpose: Used for tilak or marking, very common in many Hindu pujas as well. - Jain angle: In Jain practice, its use is more about traditional decorum and devotion, not worship of the material. Digambar/Swetambar customs vary on where and when it is applied.

• Prasad (fruits, sweets, or nuts)

- Purpose: Offerings that are later shared as blessed food. - Jain angle: Reminds us to share the fruits of right conduct and to practice moderation and temperance.

• Fruits and Sweets

- Purpose: Symbolizes the sweetness of virtuous living and the goal of balanced consumption. - Jain angle: Reflects non-violence (ahimsa) and mindful eating.

• Water for washing (achaman/achamana)

- Purpose: Small amount of water used for cleansing the mouth and hands before and after prayer. - Jain angle: Hygiene and purification of body and mind.

• Sthapna or worship materials (paste of sandalwood, chandan, or sacred ash)

- Purpose: To mark the sacred space or image with a gentle, fragrant paste. - Jain angle: Represents purity and the intention to honor the Tirthankar with a clean, serene focus.

• Small cloth or cover (shawl or cloth)

- Purpose: Used to cover the plate or the image, showing reverence and respect. - Jain angle: Modesty and care for sacred objects.

Notes on differences:

• Digambar and Shwetambar traditions may differ in the exact items used, the order of offerings, and which deities or mantras are emphasized. Some households place more emphasis on Navkar mantra, while others add specific Tirthankar stones or symbols.
• The core idea across both is simple: to create a clean, focused space that inspires non-violence, truth, restraint, and reverence for the Tirthankaras and the path they teach.

If you’d like, I can tailor this list to a specific Digambar or Shwetambar practice you’re studying, or provide a compact checklist you can print for your home puja.