Goddesses occupy important place in Jainism. As a tradition, Jainism did not accept the concept of almighty and creator God. But within the tradition the cult of powerful goddesses flourished without disturbing the ultimate goal of the Moksa (salvation). The paper analyses the historical background and the circumstances under which this phenomenon evolved. It also probes into the popularity of the cult of goddesses with special reference to some of the popular Jain goddesses. The conceptual and iconographical comparison of the Jain goddesses with their counterpart has also been attempted. The paper in a way brings about the interaction between the idealistic and popular aspects of a religious tradition.