Most of us know our great-grandfather’s name, and nothing before that. The elders who hold this knowledge will not be with us forever, so start today. A notebook and a pen are enough.
1. Start with yourself
On the first page write your name, then your parents, then your grandparents on both sides. Next to each name add the year and place of birth (village or town), as far as you know.
2. Talk to the eldest person in the family
Sit with your grandmother, or an elderly uncle or aunt. Record their voice on your phone (with permission). Some good questions:
- What was your grandfather’s name? Where did he live and what did he do?
- Which is our ancestral village? When and why did we leave?
- What are our clan and gotra? Who is our family deity?
- Is there a family story that always gets told?
3. Look for old papers
Wedding cards, old letters, land records, school certificates, names written behind old photographs. These often hold details nobody remembers.
4. The family priest’s records
Pandas (pilgrimage priests) at places like Haridwar, Gaya, Prayagraj and Kashi have kept records of many families’ generations in their bahis. If your family has a link with a panda family at a tirtha, your ancestors’ names may be recorded there.
5. Add every branch
Do not record only your father’s side. Your mother’s family, and the families of sisters and aunts, are part of the tree too.
6. Save photos and stories
More than names and dates, stories are what connect the next generation. What grandfather saw during the freedom struggle, when grandmother first saw a train: write these down.
7. Share it with the family
A family tree is never built alone. Ask in your family WhatsApp group and let everyone add their branch. The online family tree on KayasthaVerse is coming soon: you will be able to invite relatives to add their branches, and you decide what stays private and what the family sees.
Today’s task: this Sunday, call the eldest member of your family and ask just one question: “What was your grandfather’s name?”