Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: TH
Context: ICHR is looking to use the records kept by genealogy priests called Pandas to fill “gaps” in Indian history.
The Pandas (under the Hindu religious system), who number around 2,500 in Haridwar, hold records of families going back 15 to 20 generations, with details like place of origin, names, births, deaths, reason of death, place of residence, grants made to temples, caste, and clan.
Use of the records: Historians say the records can be a rich source of information to understand past famines, epidemics, migration, and movement of people, as well as social history on how clans and communities were organised. The ICHR plans to help make these records available to researchers, scholars, and historians.
About Indian Council of Historical Research
The Indian Council of Historical Research (est. 1972; HQ: New Delhi) is a captive body of the Ministry of Education, established by an Administrative Order. The body has provided financial assistance to historians and scholars through fellowships, grants, and symposia.
