Sculpting the Tirthankar's - Q&A on Jain iconography
Very recently, a discussion on the true representation of a Tirthankar through an idol raised many questions which I thought needed answers. Therefore, with an intent to create more awareness on the history and evolution of idolatry in Jainism, I am writing this article to share some of the common/ uncommon questions, which had been asked to me in the past with respect to Jain iconography in an easy to understand Q&A format. Readers can also share their observations in the comments section and can also ask more questions which I will try to answer to best of my knowledge using references from ancient texts/ modern research. Q. What is the need of an idol to worship the Tirthankar’s? A. Worship is an act of reverence of giving or acknowledging worth to something/someone beyond yourself. A layperson’s subconscious mind is not that developed that only through meditation he/she can achieve spirituality – The person needs “ आलम्बन ”, i.e. support and a foundation which can