The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hindusim vol 2

Nirmala Devi
At the Kumbha Mela festival in Haridwar the Niranjani Akhara proceeds first, followed by the Mahanirvani.
Nirjala Ekadashi
Religious observance on the eleventh
day (ekadashi) in the bright, waxing half
of the lunar month of Jyeshth (May–
June). As for all the eleventh-day observances,
this is dedicated to the worship
of the god Vishnu. Most Hindu festivals
have certain prescribed rites, which
usually involve fasting (upavasa) and
worship, and often promise specific
benefits for faithful performance. The
regulations for this ekadashi are more
strict than all the others. Not only is all
food forbidden, but the person performing
this rite must not drink water,
hence the name nirjala meaning
“waterless.” The fast must last from
dawn till dusk. This is no easy task,
since this ekadashi occurs during the
hottest part of the year. The rewards are
great: Those who fulfill the vow for this
single ekadashi receive the religious
merit for all twenty-four ekadashis during
the year, whether or not they have
done the rites for the others. Carrying
out the vow for this ekadashi is also
believed to bring one a long life and liberation
of the soul after death.
Nirmala
(“free from defilement”) With the
Udasis, one of the two Hindu ascetic
communities tracing its origins to the
Sikh community. According to one tradition,
the Nirmala sect was established
by the tenth Sikh guru, Gobind Singh.
On the whole, the Sikh tradition has not
endorsed asceticism, but rather an
active life in the world. The Nirmalas
have a large ascetic center in the northern
Indian sacred city of Haridwar,
where they run a primary school. As a
community, the Nirmalas are known far
more for learning and study than asceticism
or yoga. At the Kumbha Melas, the
Nirmalas bathe last of all, after the
Sanyasis, Bairagis, and Udasis.
Nirmala Devi
(b. 1923) Modern Hindu teacher who
claims to be an avatar of the primordial
Goddess, and the founder of Vishva
Nirmala Dharam, an organization dedicated
to spreading her message.
Nirmala Devi’s teaching is based on traditional
ideas of hatha yoga and the
subtle body. The subtle body is an
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