Padmāvatī is the protecting goddess or śāsanadevī of Pārśva

Parshva

Pārśva or Paras was the twenty-third Tirthankara "Ford-Maker" in Jainism . He is the earliest Jain leader generally accepted as a historical figure. Pārśva was a nobleman belonging to the Kshatriya varna....

, twenty-third Tīrthaṅkara in Jainism

Jainism

Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...

. She enjoys an independent religious life and is very popular amongst Jains. Padmāvatī is the main deity at Humbaj

Humbaj

Humbaj is a small village located in Shimoga district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is famous for being home to an ancient temple of Goddess Padmavati, and to the Humbaj Matha , an important institution of the Jain community...

, the famous tirtha

Tirtha

In Jainism, a tīrtha |ford]], a shallow part of a body of water that may be easily crossed") is used to refer both to pilgrimage sites as well as to the four sections of the sangha...

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Padmāvatī is distinct from both Ambikā and Lakṣmī. Legend has it that Padmāvatī and her husband Dharanendra were the king and queen of snakes in a previous birth, where their lives were saved and enlightened by Pārśva. Padmāvatī and Dharanendra were reborn in heaven and now serve as his attendant deities. They are believed to have rational perception (Samyak Drshti) and hence their images are found in some Jain temples.

Iconographically, owing to Padmāvatī's association with Pārśva, her images are shaded by a snake's hood and she is seated on a lotus flower. Often, a small image of the Tīrthaṅkara is placed in her crown.

There are many images of Padmāvatī. One of the most famous is in the Vāḷakēśvara

Walkeshwar

Walkeshwar is an affluent area in South Mumbai, India, at the north-western end of the Marine Drive loop, and is most famous for Walkeshwar Temple and Banganga Tank.-Etymology:...

 Temple dedicated to the first Tīrthaṅkara, R̥ṣabha

Rishabha (Jain tirthankar)

In Jainism, R̥ṣabha or Ādinātha , also known as the "Lord of Kesariya") was the first of the 24 Tīrthaṅkaras. According to Jain beliefs, R̥ṣabha founded the Ikshvaku dynasty and was the first Tīrthaṅkara of the present age...

, in Mumbai

Mumbai

Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

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