NAUNIDH, Bhandari Khatri of Agra, waited upon Guru Gobind Singh during his visit to the city in AD 1707. According to Bhai Santokh Singh, Sri Gur Pratdp Suraj Granth, he enquired about the reason for prescribing unshorn hair for the Sikhs. The Guru explained that keeping long hair was no innovation because this had been an old tradition. "But the times have changed," argued Naunidh. The Guru said,"What times have changed? Aren`t they the same sun, the same moon, the same water, air, fire and earth as have ever been? The fault lies in us. We have become too lazy and readily resort to such excuses." Naunidh went away chastened.
NIRMALA, derived from Sanskrit nirmala meaning spotless, unsullied, pure, bright, etc.. is the name of a sect of Sikhs primarily engaged in religious study and preaching. The members of the sect are called Nirmala Sikhs or simply Nirmalas. The sect arose during the time of Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), though some, on the authority of a line in the first iwof Bhai Gurdas (d. 1636), claim, like the Udasis, Guru Nanak (1469-1539) himself to be the founder. Guru Gobind Singh wanted his followers not only to train in soldierly arts but also to cultivate letters.
RAIPUR, a village in Patiala district claims a historical shrine called Gurdwara Mariji Sahib Patshahi Naumi. Guru Tegh Bahadur visited Raipur during his stay at Saifabad, now Bahadurgarh, only 3 km away. The Gurdwara is inside the village. Its present building constructed at the beginning of the twentieth century is a small single room with a conical dome above the sanctum. The Gurdwara is managed by a 5member village committee.