Murti pujan in Jainism is a devotional practice where Jains honor the Tirthankaras (and sometimes other revered beings) through ritual offerings and reverence shown to the idol or image (murti). The murti is not worshiped as a creator-god, but as a symbol that helps the devotee remember the virtues and path shown by the Jinas.

Key points:

• Purpose: to inspire inner purity, self-discipline, and veneration of the Jain path (right faith, right knowledge, right conduct).
• What happens: offerings (flowers, fruits, water, sandalwood paste, incense, lamp), circumambulation (pradakshina), recitation of prayers or stotras, and quiet reflection on the qualities of the Jina.
• Attitude: the murti is an aid for meditation and aspiration, not an object of worship in the sense of believing the statue itself grants power or salvation.
• Who practices: common in Śvetāmbara temples and homes; Digambara practice is more austere, and attitudes toward image worship vary by lineage and local tradition. Some Digambara communities emphasize internal meditation and dharma over external idols, while others still have murti reverence in temple settings.

Practices vary by tradition:

• Śvetāmbara: murti puja is a common devotional activity in temples and homes, with systematic puja rituals, mantras, and offerings.
• Digambara: there is greater emphasis on renunciation and inner vows; depending on community, murti worship may be more restrained or focused on teaching and contemplation rather than elaborate external puja.

If you’d like, I can share a simple step-by-step outline of a basic murti puja ritual and the typical meanings of its elements.