Jainism is an ancient religion, originated in India that teaches deliberate nonviolence (ahimsa, meaning "non-injury") to all life forms as a road to spiritual purity and awakening. Jainism is among the three oldest Religions and cultures in India still in practice, alongside Hinduism and Buddhism, and is an important aspect of South Asian faith and practice. While the Jain discipline frequently employs notions common with Hinduism and Buddhism as a product of a connected culture and customs, it should be viewed as a separate reality instead of a Hindu sect or a Buddhist heretic, as some older Western scholars assumed. In the Jain pratikraman ritual, Jain followers repent regarding their sins and wrongful activities. Shwetambar is among the two main subgroups of India's Jainism religion. The Shwetambar Jain saints and nuns dress in plain white robes. It is in contrary to the Digambara sect that does not permit women into the austere order and requires its monks to be naked at all times. They are primarily prevalent in the states of Gujarat as well as western Rajasthan, and they're often seen in central and northern India. Albeit the Shvetambara dates the schism to 83 CE, divisions appear to have developed gradually. The Shvetambara proceeded to worship naked Kushan representations of the Tirthankara for a certain time, according to inscriptions on undressed Kushan idols of the Tirthankara. The first depiction of a Tirthankara carrying lower clothing has indeed been dated to the later 5th or 6th century and is from Akota, Gujarat. Many academics believe that because this is also the period of the last meeting at Valabhi, the council signaled the ultimate separation of the two factions.
