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The Śvētāmbara (; Sanskrit: श्वेतांबर or श्वेतपट śvētapaṭa; also spelled Svetambar, Shvetambara, Shvetambar, Swetambar or Shwetambar) is one of the two main sects of Jainism, the other being the Digambara. Śvētāmbara "white-clad" is a term describing its ascetics' practice of wearing white clothes, which sets it apart from the Digambara "sky-clad" Jainas, whose ascetic practitioners go naked. Śvētāmbaras, unlike Digambaras, do not believe that ascetics must practice nudity.
The Śvētāmbara tradition follows the lineage of Acharya Sthulibhadra Suri. The Kalpa Sūtra mentions some of the lineages in ancient times. The Śvētāmbara monastic orders are branches of the Vrahada Order, which was founded in 937 CE. The most prominent among the classical orders today are the Kharatara (founded 1024 CE), the Tapa (founded 1228 CE) and the Tristutik.
Major reforms by Vijayananda Suri of the Tapa Order in 1880 led a movement to restore orders of wandering monks, which brought about the near-extinction of the Yati institutions. Tristutik Order.
The Śvētāmbara sect was divided into different panths. First some saints left Śvētāmbara sect to form Lonka sect in 1474 CE,, which eventually lead to forming of Sthānakavāsī in 1653 CE. In 1760 CE 13 Saints started their own panth called "Terapanth".
So now at present there are 3 panths in the Śvētāmbara sect: Murtipujaka (Deravasi), Sthānakavāsī and Terapanth. The Sthānakavāsī believe in praying to Saints than to an idol in temple, the same philosophy is carried on by "Terapanth". Other difference between Deravasi Jains and Sthānakavāsī Jains is that the saints (monks) of Deravasi do not wear white cloth (white cloth called as muhapatti) near their mouth to cover it, they hold it in hand. While Sthānakavāsī and Terapanthi saints wear muhapatti through white cotton thread tied to their ears. They do not keep Idols in Worship place called Sthanak or Derasar. They pray and bow to Panch Mahamantar. While Murtipujaka people keep an idol of Tirthankar at their derasar and they worship them.
- Mary Pat Fisher, Living Religions (5th Edition) (2003), p. 130