The Digambar Jain Sect in Rajasthan

Ramvallabh Somani’s article surveys the history of the Digambara sect in Rajasthan. He begins by explaining that early Jainism split into two principal sects: the Śvetāmbaras, whose monks wear white robes, and the Digambaras (“sky‑clad”), whose ascetics go naked. The division is associated with a famine during which some monks donned clothes while travelling; they later became known as the Śvetāmbaras. Both groups further divided into numerous subsects or sanghas, ganas, kulas and gachchhas. Somani observes that inscriptions from Rajasthan do not record the exact date of the split but reveal the presence of many subsects such as the Balatkaragana and Kasthasaṅgha. Rajasthan once contained numerous Jain temples at Osia, Ghatiyala, Jalore, Bhinmal, Nagaur, Cittor and other towns; many were destroyed by invasions or fell into ruin, yet inscriptions show that Jainism flourished there between the eighth and thirteenth centuries. The article notes that the Mūla Saṅgha, Dravida, Kastha, Mathura and Yāpaniya saṅghas were the main divisions among Digambaras, each with branches. These sanghas formed networks of teachers and monasteries, complete with hereditary titles and geographic jurisdictions. Inscriptions from the Deccan mention monks from Cittor who took part in religious debates and temple consecrations, suggesting a close connection between Rajasthan and South India. Somani highlights epigraphic evidence describing a great religious discourse held at the Ekalingaji temple in Cittor and mentions other Digambara temples in Mewar, including Dhuleva and Arthuna. These inscriptions record donations by rulers, details of temple construction and repairs, the installation of images of Jinas and episodes of destruction and subsequent restoration. The article emphasises that while the physical structures of many temples have vanished, the epigraphs preserve the memory of Jain devotion and the sociopolitical context in which Digambara communities thrived. Somani also notes that some inscriptions include genealogies of monks and mention teachers who travelled between Rajasthan and the Deccan, showing that doctrinal teachings and texts circulated widely. The existence of various sanghas and their patronage patterns reveals the complexity of Digambara organisation; internal differences over doctrinal points or ritual practices did not prevent cooperation in building and maintaining temples. Somani concludes that the study of these inscriptions is essential for reconstructing the sect’s history and understanding its spread across Rajasthan, and he calls for further archaeological and textual research to fill remaining gaps.

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