Udasi (Gurmukhi: ਉਦਾਸੀ ਸੰਪਰਦਾ; udāsī saparadā) is a religious sect of ascetic sadhus centred in northern India. Becoming custodians of Sikh shrines in the 18th century, they were notable interpreters and spreaders of the Sikh philosophy during that time. However, their religious practices border on a syncretism of Sikhism and Hinduism, including idolatry, and they did not conform to the Khalsa standards as ordained by Guru Gobind Singh. When the Lahore Singh Sabha reformers, dominated by Tat Khalsa Sikhs, would hold them responsible for indulging in ritual practices antithetical to Sikhism, as well as personal vices and corruption, the Udasi mahants were expelled from the Sikh shrines. Etymology Udasi is derived from the Sanskrit word Udāsīn, which means one who is indifferent to or disregardful of worldly attachments, a stoic, or a mendicant. The word Udasi is derived from the Sanskrit word , meaning 'detached, journey', reflecting an approach to spiritual and temporal life, or from ('detachment'), signifying indifference to or renunciation of worldly concerns. History According to myth, the sect was established in the Puranic age but historically-speaking, the sect was founded by and based on the teachings of Guru Nanak's elder son Sri Chand (1494–1629, other sources give a death year of 1643). Sri Chand, contrary to his father's emphasis on participation in society, propagated ascetic renunciation and celibacy. Another Sikh tradition links the Udasis to Baba Gurditta, the eldest son of Guru Hargobind, and there is dispute on whether the Udasis originated with Sri Chand or Gurditta. Another viewpoint is that Sri Chand was the founder of the sect and passed the leadership to Baba Gurditta as his successor. They maintain their own parallel line of gurus from Guru Nanak, followed by Sri Chand, followed by Gurditta. They first came to prominence in the 17th century, and gradually began to manage Sikh shrines and establishments in the 18th century, from where they espoused a model of Sikhism that diverged considerably from that of the Khalsa. They would set up establishments across North India through to Benares, where they would come to be ideologically joined with monastic asceticism. The combination of Hindu gods and the Sikh religious text indicated that the sect evolved over time under many historical influences and conditions, interpreting the message of Guru Granth Sahib in monistic Vedantic terms. They were initially largely based in urban centers where they set up their establishments, or akharas,