Vamsavali — The Ancient Lineage Registry at Gaya & How Gayawal Pandits Keep Your Family Record

The Vamsavali (वंशावली — literally 'lineage row') is one of the most extraordinary institutions in human history — a continuously maintained handwritten genealogical registry that spans over 1,500 years of recorded family visits to Gaya for Pind Daan.

What is the Vamsavali? Every Gayawal Pandit family maintains one or more Vamsavali books — large handwritten ledgers recording every pilgrim family that has performed Pind Daan through their lineage. These records include: - Family name and home region/state - Gotra (lineage clan) - Names of ancestors for whom Pind Daan was performed - Date of the ceremony (sometimes in Hindu Vikram Samvat calendar) - Generations of the pilgrim family who visited

How Old Are These Records? The oldest surviving Vamsavali records held by the most senior Gayawal families date to approximately 500-600 CE — over 1,500 years of unbroken documentation. Some families from Maharashtra, Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat can trace their ancestors' Gaya visits going back 40-50 generations in these records.

Your Family Might Already Be In the Vamsavali If any ancestor of yours visited Gaya for Pind Daan — even 10 or 15 generations ago — there is a good chance your family lineage is documented in a Vamsavali book. Pitraya can attempt to locate your family's Vamsavali record as part of our premium service.

The Vamsavali Entry Process with Pitraya All Pitraya Standard and Premium packages include a Vamsavali entry — your names, your ancestors' names, your gotra, and the date of ceremony are recorded by your assigned Gayawal Purohit in the family's Vamsavali book. You receive a certified copy of this entry as part of your ceremony documentation.