While women may be storming male bastions in the professional world, in the Jain monastic order, the sadhvis far outnumber the sadhus. Out of the 15,000 sadhaks, 11,000 are women, many of who have shrugged off lucrative careers and comfortable homes for the life of a wandering nun.

According to Sadhvi Triptilinashriji, it was a craving for “anant sukh” or permanent bliss that drew them towards deeksha and motivated them to leave the world. All the happiness and sorrows in worldly life are temporal in nature. There is no sense of everlastingness in them."

Triptilinashriji, a science student renounced her domestic and professional life to become a monk, nine years ago.

Becoming a sadhvi is not easy though. The inclination has to come from within; the person seeking deeksha has to be with a sadhvi for years, travel and live with her for years before she can be admitted into the fold. The monastic lifestyle also calls for complete renunciation of the world and all worldly possessions, celibacy, physical comfort of any kind and eating. Only that much is eaten what is necessary for living.

The sadhvis also have to give up their names. All sadhvis are given a new name when initiated into the order.

Their way of travelling is also walking, sans footwear. For eight months every year, the women keep walking from one place to another, never staying at one place for more than a few hours, surviving on the food that comes through bhiksha (alms)and prayers.

But then why do women so grossly outnumber the men? Tripttilinshriji says it is maybe because women are more sensitive and the sorrow in the world makes them want to leave it. "May be because they can more easily give up things than men," she says.

Sawmi Hemprabhsurishwarji Maharaj, a sadhu for more than three decades and someone who can give deeksha to others, says, "There are more women because they have more tenderness and get easily affected by all the jealously, treachery and negative forces around them. Men are more thick skinned."