Rise and Glory History of Halari Visa Oshwals

Author(s): Rati Dodhia
Publisher: Rati Dodhia

Page 34

Chapter 3. The Great Schism
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Like the Digambar sect, the Svetambar sect has also been split into two main sub-sects:
1. Image worshipers (murtipujak) and, 2. Non-image worshipers:
(a) Sthanakvasi and (b) Terapanthi.
Image Worshipers
Murtipujak Svetambars worship images (murti). They offer flowers, fruit, saffron and other things to their images and adorn them with rich clothes and jeweled ornaments. The Murtipujak sub-sect is also known by terms like:
(i) Pujera (worshippers), (ii) Deravasi (temple residents), (iii) Chaityavasi (temple residents) and (iv) Mandira-margi (temple goers).
Non-Image Worshipers
Lonkagachha: In 1474 A.D. Lonka Shaha, concerned about the loose conducts of monks, formed a new group of non-image worshippers, Lonkapath. This was a most important protestant movement among Svetambers. At the same time as reformers like Kabir (1440-1558 A.D.) and Guru Nanak (1469-1538 A.D.) had established their sects or religions whose main principle was devotion to a God without attributes (nirguna upasana, worship of attribute-less one) with strong opposition to Hindu idolatry. This atmosphere of anti-image worship appears to have
ced Jainism also. The movement incidentally coincided with Lutheran and Puritan movement in Europe. Lonka Shah lived in Ahmedabad. He was a government servant under Muslim rulers of Gujarat. One day he saw Muslim hunters killing birds with trap called chida. He was so hurt by this cruel act that he gave up his job and started