Your family's story may already be written
Across India, hereditary record keepers have preserved family names, villages and lineages for generations. We help families overseas find the register most likely to hold their history, and send a researcher to search for it in person.
Find where your family records may be held
New to this tradition? Read how traditional Indian family registers work or what information helps a search.
Researchers working with the original record holders, on the ground in India.
We do the work that cannot be done through an online family-tree search. A researcher in India visits the relevant centre, works with the people who hold the registers and brings the result back to your family in a form you can understand.
From what you remember to a lasting archive.
- 1
Tell us what your family remembers
Share your family's ancestral place, community, caste and gotra — in your own words, by typing or recording.
- 2
See the most likely register route
We assess your answers and show the traditional register centre — or centres — most likely to hold your family's records.
- 3
Choose the centres you want searched
Select up to four centres and see the exact price before you decide whether to proceed.
- 4
We research, translate and preserve what is found
Our researcher searches the registers in person, and what is found is translated and preserved for your family.
A family history we thought had been lost
The Indian Archive began after a deeply personal journey to Haridwar revealed generations of family history preserved inside a traditional handwritten register.
Recording a death — and updating the wider family lineage.
Recording a death and updating the wider family lineage was traditionally part of many families' visits to Haridwar and other pilgrimage-register centres. Families unable to travel may still choose to research and preserve that family record.
No travel to India is required to begin.
Answers to the four most-asked questions.
- Do I need to know the correct centre?
- No. Your free assessment tells us about your ancestry and we identify the most credible register centre — or centres — for your family.
- Where does the research actually happen?
- On the ground in India. Our researcher travels to the recommended traditional register centre, meets the hereditary family priest who holds your community's records, and works through the registers with them in person on your behalf.
- How long does research take?
- Most searches finish in 2–10 weeks. Multi-centre and specialist routes can take longer, and we tell you if yours is one of them.
- Is a register update guaranteed?
- An entry or update may be possible once the appropriate register holder and family connection have been confirmed. It is optional, costs £100 in addition to the search, and is only used if the register holder accepts the information.
Your family's story may already be written.
The assessment is free. See the most likely register route and the exact price before you decide whether to proceed.