Padmavati
Sanskrit: पद्मावती padmāvatī
is the protecting goddess or śāsanadevī of Parshva. She enjoys an independent religious life and is is the main deity of Padmavati Temple at Humcha (see Humcha Jain Temples).
Padmavati is distinct from both Ambika and Lakshmi. Legend has it that Padmavati and her husband Dharanendra were the king and queen of snakes in a previous birth, where their lives were saved and enlightened by Parshva. Padmavati and Dharanendra were reborn in heaven and now serve as his attendant deities. They are believed to have rational perception and hence their images are found in some Jain temples.
Iconographically, owing to Padmavati's association with Parshva, her images are shaded by a snake's hood and she is seated on a lotus flower. Often, a small image of the Tirthankara is placed in her crown.
There are many images of Padmavati . One of the most famous is in the Valakeshvara (Vāḷakēśvara) Temple dedicated to the first Tirthankara, Rishabha, in Mumbai, India.
