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murtipratishtha

Murtipratishtha, literally “installation of a murti,” is a Jain ritual of consecrating and installing a statue or image of a Tirthankara or other sacred figure in a temple or shrine. The rite endows the murti with the status of a living spiritual presence and makes it the primary focus of worship and ritual in the space.

The ceremony is typically conducted by a qualified monk or Jain priest and follows purificatory rites of

A central element is the abhisheka, the ritual bathing of the murti with water and other substances

There are regional and sectarian variations in practice. Shvetambar and Digambar communities perform murtipratishtha according to

Historically, murtipratishtha is described in Jain canonical and later scholarly literature and remains a central rite

the
site
and
the
image.
It
includes
cleansing
and
preparation
of
the
temple,
the
placement
of
the
murti
on
a
pedestal,
and
the
recitation
of
sacred
formulas
and
hymns
drawn
from
Jain
scriptures,
including
the
Navkar
Mantra.
Sacred
offerings
and
a
sequence
of
rites
accompany
the
installation.
such
as
milk,
yogurt,
sugar,
saffron,
and
fragrant
oils.
After
consecration,
the
murti
is
clothed
and
adorned,
and
the
image
is
formally
worshiped
as
a
Tirthankara
or
revered
figure.
Temples
often
designate
a
mulnayak,
or
principal
idol,
to
receive
special
reverence
as
part
of
the
pratishtha.
their
liturgies
and
iconographic
conventions,
but
both
regard
the
ritual
as
essential
to
empowering
the
idol
as
an
object
of
devotion.
The
practice
is
integral
to
temple
inaugurations
and
ongoing
Jain
devotional
life.
in
contemporary
temple
worship
and
the
consecration
of
new
or
renovated
idols.