Nirmala (sect)

Nirmala (Punjabi: ਨਿਰਮਲੇ, lit. "those without blemish" or "spotless") also known as Nirmala Saṁpardā or Nirmal Paṅth, is a Sikh sect (sampradāya) of ascetics that are involved in preaching and religious education. According to the traditional beliefs, the Sanatan Nirmala Sikh tradition was founded by Guru Gobind Singh in late 17th century when he sent five (or thirteen as per another version) Sikhs to Varanasi to learn Sanskrit and Vedanta texts. The Nirmalas became influential after Sikh rulers in Malwa began sponsoring them in the mid-19th century. The main organization of the sect is the Panchayati Akhara Nirmal, founded in 1862 at Patiala and now based in Kankhal, Haridwar, Uttarakhand. They are Sanatan Sikhs and were influenced by Advaita Vedanta. They are an intellectual tradition which produced translations and commentaries of Sanskritic and Sikh literature into vernacular languages. They were also responsible for performing katha discourses and the management of Sikh shrines. During the 19th century, they alongside the Udasis were responsible for the spreading of Sanatan Sikhism. They also played a key-role in the indigenous, pre-colonial education system. They are a Sanskritised tradition.