Monastic order (Sanskrit)
Among the image-worshipping Shvetambara sect of Jainism, gaccha denotes a group of monks and their lay followers who claim descent from eminent monastic teachers. Although some 84 separate gacchas have appeared since the 7th–8th century, only a few have survived, such as the Kharatara Gaccha (located mainly in Rajasthan), the Tapa Gaccha, and the Ancala Gaccha.
While the gacchas do not differ from one another in matters of doctrine, they do differ on issues of practice, in particular those practices relating to the sacred calendar and to ritual. The various gacchas also trace their descent through different lineages.