A usually flat stone plate with a high-relief carving of one or several snakes – nāgas – with one or multiple hoods. The carved tiles are leaned against trees or rammed into the earth to stand up vertically. Worship of snakes and other nature-related spirits – such as yakṣas – has a long tradition in South Asia. For Jains, snakes are closely associated with the Jinas Pārśvanātha or Lord Pārśva and Supārśvanātha or Lord Supārśva, and Śvetāmbara Jains regard them as one of the guardians of the directions – dika-pālas.