According to Warren, Jainism is an Indian religion mandated to teach the way to spiritual purity as well as individuals’ enlightenment through disciplined and nonviolence means (22). Jainism forms a part of the three main faiths devised in India in about 7th-5th century BC. Cort institutes that Jain religion differs from all other forms of worship whose principles make the cult both futile and unnecessary (63). Surprisingly, Jain worships not to gratify gods nor aims at receiving something in return. Instead, this religion lacks a definite reason for worship. In this paper, I will compare and contrast Jainism in India and the United Kingdom through different aspects of festivals, beliefs, and practices.

According to Warren, Jain festivities are similar in both India and the United Kingdom (78). Jains in both India and the United Kingdom celebrate a series of festivals at same times of the year connected to the births and the deaths of Tirthankaras. Additionally, both the Indian Jains and those of the United Kingdom view Paryushana practices by Svetambara sect as a prestigious festival (Cort 64). Other significant festivals of Jainism in the two countries include Abhishek that represents the ceremonial head anointing of the Bahubali, Deep Diwali, and Mahavir Jayanti.

Furthermore, both the United Kingdom and Indian Jain believes that Jainism is a philosophy of contemporary relevance, which derives its basis from the superseding principle of reverence for life (Warren 29). The faith makes Jains from both countries develop a similar culture of observing the vegetarian diet. Moreover, both Indian and the United Kingdom Jains believe that anybody who neglects the existence of water, vegetation, earth, and air overlooks his or her presence entwined with them.

Both of asceticism and renunciation exist in both the United Kingdom and India. The Jain path of salvation demands that individuals should avoid any form of violence. The asceticism of both countries stipulates that the ideal Jains are the nuns and the monks who alone can dictate the entire life in non-violent conduct (Warren 31). Additionally, the asceticism of the two countries records praising the legendary hero ahubali who abandoned the worldly pleasures.

On the contrary, Cort argues that, unlike in India, Jainism in the United Kingdom does not have a clear and identifiable core value of the doctrine but instead relies on the complex cultural tradition of religious guidelines and practices (64). For instance, the role of women in the Indian Jainism is to transmit essential and fundamental values to the family in which they have a command of the dietary rules, unlike those of the United Kingdom who are subjected to restrictions.

The Indian Jainism teaches sadhvi which purports that a female cannot find any liberation as long as the male reborn exists. This teaching has led to a tradition that portrays women as inferior beings compared to men. On the other hand, the United Kingdom Jains’ belief in women derives its influence from the contemporary global impact of the ideology that women are equal to men thus dismissing pratha which portrays women as inferior beings, (Cort 67). In India, Jain Digamber states that women cannot obtain total liberation, whereas Swethamber in the United Kingdom believes that women can get liberation freely.

Overall, most practices and beliefs are the same in both India and the United Kingdom. For instance, we have learned that Jains of both countries share common views on Karma that after death, we are reborn. Also, the emphasis on nonviolence has a significant influence on the Jainism of both nations as seen through the abandoning animal sacrifice.