page_title: Nirmala (sect)
hierarchical_section_title: Nirmala (sect)
caption_attribution_description: English: Ujjain Simhasth 2016 Panchayati akhada nirmal Shahi Snan
context_page_description: Nirmala is a Sikh tradition of ascetics. According to the traditional beliefs, the Nirmala Sikh tradition was founded by Guru Gobind Singh in late 17th century when he sent five Sikhs to Varanasi to learn Sanskrit and Hindu religious texts.
  The Nirmala Sikhs wear ochre-colored robes and keep kesh. They observe the same birth and death rituals as the Hindu ascetics and have an akhara in Haridwar, and a number of deras in Punjab. They have been one of the procession participants in Kumbh Melas. They were early missionaries who traveled and spread Sikhism among the masses, thus making an important contribution to the growth of Sikhism. They often served as one of the mahants in Sikh temples during the 18th-century. Nirmalas interpret the Sikh literature in Vedantic terms. During the Singh Sabha Movement of late 19th-century and early 20th-century, they were condemned by the Tat Khalsa faction of Sikhs, and cordially supported by the Sanatan Sikhs faction.
context_section_description: Nirmala (Punjabi: ਨਿਰਮਲੇ, lit. "those without blemish") is a Sikh tradition of ascetics. According to the traditional beliefs, the Nirmala Sikh tradition was founded by Guru Gobind Singh in late 17th century when he sent five Sikhs to Varanasi to learn Sanskrit and Hindu religious texts. 
  The Nirmala Sikhs wear ochre-colored robes (or at least one item) and keep kesh (unshorn hair). They observe the same birth and death rituals as the Hindu ascetics and have an akhara (martial organization) in Haridwar, and a number of deras in Punjab (India). They have been one of the procession participants in Kumbh Melas. They were early missionaries who traveled and spread Sikhism among the masses, thus making an important contribution to the growth of Sikhism. They often served as one of the mahants in Sikh temples (gurdwaras) during the 18th-century. Nirmalas interpret the Sikh literature in Vedantic terms. During the Singh Sabha Movement of late 19th-century and early 20th-century, they were condemned by the Tat Khalsa faction of Sikhs, and cordially supported by the Sanatan Sikhs faction.
caption: Nirmal Akhara procession at Ujjain Simhastha 2016 (Kumbh Mela)
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