These are some of the oldest records I have seen on
FamilySearch.org's Historical Record Collections. They are described as
Hindu pilgrimage records kept by a Pandit Madhukar Balkrishan Akolkar at
Trimbakeshwar, Maharashtra, India. They include records for people from
Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab and Rajasthan, India. These records are
created and updated when family members pass on. The registers are
arranged by "caste" and contain native place, names of family members,
the last occasion on which a family member came to this place of
pilgrimage and made an entry in the register, the ceremony performed at
the time and offering made to the priest. No women are mentioned unless
their deaths are referred to indirectly.
There are 191,193 images. Further explanation of the records from the
Research Wiki says:
The ancient custom of keeping family genealogies is not well-known
today to Indians settled abroad. Professional Hindu Brahmin Pandits,
popularly known as "Pandas", kept detailed family genealogies over the
past several generations at the Hindu holy city of Haridwar.
The registers are handwritten, having been passed down to them over
generations by their Pandit ancestors, and are classified according to
original districts and villages of one's ancestors. Special designated
Pandit families are in charge of designated district registers,
including ancestral districts and villages that were left behind when
Hindus had to migrate from Pakistan to India after the Partition of
India.
In several cases, present-day Hindu descendents are now Sikhs,
Muslims, and even Christians. It is not uncommon for researchers to find
details of up to or even more than their past seven generations in
these genealogy registers.
I think we get pretty focused on our own narrow area of research and tend to forget the rest of world out there is probably seeking their ancestors also. There are some good reminders coming up in the Historical Record Collections.
These records are apparently visible to members of supporting organisations. But there is no mention of who the supporting organisatins are or how to get the membership of them.
ReplyDeleteThe records are freely available if you register on FamilySearch.org. Registration is free and incurs no obligations.
DeleteNo it isn't! I registered and they still wont let me see the records.
Deletethey are available to those who r members of a particular church The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! why so? it seems like they are behaving like the britishers that looted india and are not allowing us to see our own genealogy records. pathetic!
DeleteYou are sadly mistaken and showing your prejudice. The records on FamilySearch.org are freely available to everyone.
Delete> James Tanner
DeleteI have tried today again as a signed in member of family search.
The images still do not appear. The comment that they are viewable to the signed in members of supported organizations still persists. And there is no mention of supported organizations anywhere.
I just checked and I can see them
Deletehttps://familysearch.org/search/collection/1867930?collectionNameFilter=false
Perhaps you server blocks the records? I don't have any other explanation. You might try writing to FamilySearch through the Feedback link at the bottom of every page on FamilySearch.org. Let me know if you still have a problem.
I am sorry but I have tried again and again for the last so many days and the situation is exactly the same. The images do not show and the same comment " visible to signed members of supporting organizations" appears.
Delete> James Tanner
ReplyDeleteI am sorry but I have tried again and again for the last so many days and the situation is exactly the same. The images do not show and the same comment " visible to signed members of supporting organizations" appears
In thinking about the problem, I once again went to the FamilySearch.org Website and without logging in looked for the India, Hindu Pilgrimage Records, 1194-2015. When I tried to look at the records, I got a notice that the images were only viewable to signed in members of supporting organizations. I signed in with my LDS account and was immediately taken to the records. Have you registered and used you sign in to view the records? Perhaps they are only available to LDS members or other organizational members. Try sending a feedback note to FamilySearch and see what the limitations are. Perhaps the site is partially blocked in India?
DeleteI checked. They're only available to LDS members. It's very sad, but if anyone who wants to see their family records goes to Haridwar, they can ask their family Pundit(s) about their family history there.
DeleteJames you can see it because you a member of the LDS obviously. All non members including a vast majority of Indians and descendants of Indians cannot. The LDS will regret making this decision...
DeleteI'm from the UK, so going to Utah or India is much more challenging. It's strange that these documents are not available to non LDS members. These are religious documents so I'm not sure why they are restricted?! Seems silly to have them scanned but not accessible...
ReplyDeleteRestrictions come from the originators of the documents not from FamilySearch.
DeleteI also tried again and again for the last so many days/years and the situation is exactly the same. The images do not show and the same comment " visible to signed members of supporting organizations" appears. Pathetic...
ReplyDeleteWhat is the solution if you are not LDS member. I live in Canada now and want to know about my ancestors. Is anyone going to India to find out?
ReplyDeleteI will update this blog post with additional information.
DeleteHi, Where you able to get in touch with FamilySearch.org as to why access is available only for LDS members.
DeleteAs a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I can see the records. I still do not know why they are available only to members of the Church. Most of the records are on microfilm and available only in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA at the main Family History Library whether or not you are a member.
DeleteHi, Is it possible for you to share your id so that we can search records and see if we find any records. We are trying to create Gore Kulavrutant (Gore is family name and Kulavrutant means family history document).
DeleteNo, I am sorry but that is not possible. There are over 5000 Family History Centers around the world, there may be one near you. If so, someone there may be able to help you. See https://www.familysearch.org/locations/
DeleteVisit the family history center center
DeleteDue to privacy concerns of the record custodians some of these records are blocked for the general public in some countries. You can visit their family history centers which are available throughout the world and in India as well. Good luck.
ReplyDelete