digambar

Digambar, also spelled Digambara, is one of the two major sects of Jainism and is considered the older of the two. The name, meaning “sky-clad” in Sanskrit, refers to the ascetic practice of renouncing all material possessions, including clothing. Digambara monks traditionally practice nudity to symbolize complete detachment and to emphasize the belief that all worldly items are obstacles to liberation.

The sect traces its origins to ancient Jainism and claims that its doctrines were established by forty-four enlightened ancestors, or Mahavirs, who taught that renunciation is the path to moksha, or liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Digambara teachings emphasize the doctrines of karma, non-violence, non-possessiveness, and eternal soul. Unlike the Śvētāmbara sect, which allows monks to wear white robes, Digambara monks wear nothing but occasionally a simple cloth in extreme circumstances.

Historical evidence indicates that Digambara monks were denied access to temples until the 16th and 17th centuries in some regions, leading them to perform rituals in private or outdoors. The sect also observes that married laypeople support the sect by offering a feeding thali and other rituals. Today, Digambara communities are found principally in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and parts of the western Indian states, and they maintain numerous shrines, with the most famous being the Dilwara Temples on Mount Abu and the Vidhyanagar Jain Tirth.