Siddha

A Siddha is part of the Panch Parmeshti, the five great souls in Jainism. The literal meaning of ‘siddha’ is ‘liberated soul’. It represents a person whose soul has been fully liberated from cycles of birth and death.

According to Jainism, an Arihanta is a human being with perfect vision, knowledge, power and bliss. He/she is the preacher of religious principles, the philosophy of life and the path to liberation. On completion of the human life, the arihanta becomes a siddha, the liberated one. A siddha is therefore elevated to the status of a god and is worshipped during Jain festivals and religious observances. This devotion towards the siddha is considered as one of the primary duties of a Jain person.