Stūpa as Tīrtha: Jaina Monastic Funerary Monuments

Abstract

One of the principal findings of recent research at SOAS on Jaina rituals of death is that in addition to temples relic stūpas serve as alternative destinations for pilgrimage across almost the entire Jaina sectarian spectrum. The report points out some of the characteristics of these pilgrimages and offers two maps of the geographical distribution of Jaina stūpas in India.