Diasporic Jainism in North America

This entry examines the formation and evolution of Jain communities in the United States and Canada from the late twentieth century onward. It highlights how migration, transnational networks, and multicultural encounters have influenced Jain ritual practice and identity. Attention is given to how Jains reinterpret traditional ascetic ideals within secular and professional settings, adapt fasting and temple rituals to local contexts, and negotiate generational and sectarian differences. The entry also explores emerging forms of digital devotion, gender dynamics in community leadership, and the ways diasporic Jains articulate nonviolence, ecology, and ethics in contemporary North American society.