Men dressed in revealing right shoulders were hanging around in the Jain temple

Many people tend to think that India is exclusively Hindu, but in fact Hindus account for only about 80% of the total population, and many other religions coexist in the country. Muslims account for about 15% of the total population, more than the total population of Japan. Christians account for 2.3%, Sikhs for 1.7%, Buddhists for 0.7%, and Jains for 0.4%, with each religion having a certain presence.

In such a multi-religious nation, Mumbai is dotted with Jain temples. Jainism, a religion that emerged in India around the same time as Buddhism, around the 6th century B.C., denies the authority and rituals of Brahmins, as well as the existence of the Vedas and creator gods. Instead, it has a unique teaching that emphasizes the “three treasures” of “right belief,” “right knowledge,” and “right conduct” in order to attain liberation.

A distinctive characteristic of the Jains is their teaching of ahimsa (non-killing). Books of things describe them as taking great care not to kill living beings and walking around with brooms to sweep the ground. However, when I actually visited a Jain temple in Mumbai, I did not see people walking around with brooms. Instead, I was struck by people dressed in costumes similar to Buddhist robes, with their right shoulders exposed, walking quietly and praying.

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