Mallinatha was the 19th tīrthaṅkara "ford-maker" of the present avasarpiṇī age in Jainism.
Idol of Mallinatha in female form at Keshavrai Patan, Rajasthan
A diorama in Jain Museum of Madhuban, Giridih depicting Mallinatha teaching six kings the futility of bodily beauty, as per Swetambara tradition.
Mallinath Tonk on Shikharji from where Mallinatha attained Nirvana
Chaturmukha Basadi
In Jainism, a Tirthankara is a saviour and supreme spiritual teacher of the dharma. The word tirthankara signifies the founder of a tirtha, a fordable passage across saṃsāra, the sea of interminable birth and death. According to Jains, tirthankaras are the supreme preachers of dharma, who have conquered saṃsāra on their own and made a path for others to follow. After understanding the true nature of the self or soul, the Tīrthaṅkara attains kevala jnana (omniscience). A Tirthankara provides a bridge for others to follow them from saṃsāra to moksha (liberation).
Jain miniature painting of 24 Jain Tirthankaras, Jaipur, c. 1850
The 24 Tirthankaras forming the tantric meditative syllable Hrim, painting on cloth, Gujarat, c. 1800
Tirthankara images at Siddhachal Caves inside Gwalior Fort.
Auspicious dreams seen by a tirthankara's mother during pregnancy
