Which reference to the religious practices in India, the “Sthanakvasi” sect belongs to

1. A. Buddhism
2. B. Jainism
3. C. Vaishnavism
4. D. Shaivism

Answer: B

Explanation

Sthānakavāsī is a sect of Śvētāmbara Jainism founded by a merchant named Lavaji in 1653 AD. It believes that idol worship is not essential in the path of soul purification and attainment of Nirvana/Moksha. The sect is essentially a reformation of the one founded on teachings of Lonka, a fifteenth-century Jain reformer. Sthānakavāsins accept thirty-two of the Jain Agamas, the Śvētāmbara canon.