The principles of the Indian Jain faith, which emphasises peace, truth and tolerance, came to be known through the teachings of Mahavira who lived in the sixth century before the current era. Mahavira taught that all living things have souls of equal value. With a strong Jain history, the town of Pali in Marwar is regarded as a centre for Jain painting and manuscripts. Painted on cloth, this extraordinary image shows a six-storey celestial palace festooned by flags and inhabited by monks, dancers, the lay faithful and deities. Paintings such as this were stored rolled up in Jain libraries and only brought out for occasional events.