1/ I know Ancestry.com and DNA family tracking like @23andMe are all the rage these days, but I need to share the CRAZIEST experience I have ever had pertaining to our family lineage. This place will be a future @VICE documentary, I'm sure of it. 👇🏽Thread :
2/ As part of Hindu last rites for my Mom's passing, we drove to the holy city of Haridwar to bring her mortal remains to Ganges River. It is a solemn ritual meant to signify the soul moving on to the next world while the body returns to earth via the sacred Ganges 
3/ Upon completing the ritual we crossed the River into the main part of town to, as I understood it, sign a "log book" detailing why we had come to Haridwar that day. This is where things get really interesting:
4/ Now before I explain this logbook, what you need to understand is that my family, the Kapoors, are natives of Punjab from well before the partition of India & Pakistan in 1947
However, both sides of my paternal line came from what is now West Punjab (in modern Pakistan)
However, both sides of my paternal line came from what is now West Punjab (in modern Pakistan)
5/ Upon Partition, the OG Kapoors (& my paternal grandmother's family) traveled as refugees mostly on foot (or by ox-cart) from Lahore almost 150mi to Chandigarh where our family has claimed roots ever since.
They left behind almost everything in their old homes when they left.
They left behind almost everything in their old homes when they left.
6/ This is relevant bc while Kapoor is a common Punjabi Khatri name, there's Kapoors who trace lineage to different villages all over Punjab.
Since our ancestors left home in '47, beyond my paternal grandfathers father (Dad's Dad's Dad) we don't know much about these old Kapoors
Since our ancestors left home in '47, beyond my paternal grandfathers father (Dad's Dad's Dad) we don't know much about these old Kapoors
7/ We enter a part of Haridwar where a some middle-aged dudes (let's call them pundits) are chillin under a tree
One guy sees us and asks my last name & where I'm coming from. Then he says "which village" and BOOM!
A second dude appears behind us. He says "I've got your book"
One guy sees us and asks my last name & where I'm coming from. Then he says "which village" and BOOM!
A second dude appears behind us. He says "I've got your book"
8/ He asks us when "we" left the village in Lahore & walks us to a third guy who... Walks us to a small room where he pull up this book.
This is THE BOOK OF KAPOORS (Vol. #?)
This is THE BOOK OF KAPOORS (Vol. #?)
9/ In this log book are details of births, deaths, marriages, divorces, adoptions, disownings and much, much more. Each entry even includes current whereabouts of major family members
THIS specific book goes ALL THE WAY back to the early 1700s!! That's almost 300 freaking years!
THIS specific book goes ALL THE WAY back to the early 1700s!! That's almost 300 freaking years!
10/ Each entry confirms who is still living or dead, their titles and occupations. I could go back to the 1800s and find ancestors that were village chiefs or those that were in military service.
It had the entry of my birth. My dad's birth. Even his dad's birth!
It had the entry of my birth. My dad's birth. Even his dad's birth!
11/Did I mention the freaking book is 300 years old!? Mind you it's neither the oldest book nor the only 1. There's books for Kapoors, Malhotras, Khannas, Chopras, etc.
On some Game of Thrones sh*t, these major Punjabi families intermarried for provincial alliances for centuries
On some Game of Thrones sh*t, these major Punjabi families intermarried for provincial alliances for centuries
12/ Which begs the question, how has THIS book survived for THREE CENTURIES. Not in a museum, not as a relic. Just a 300 year old log book. This is where it gets even more interesting.
Turns out, our family's ancestoral history has been managed, for centuries, by ANOTHER family.
Turns out, our family's ancestoral history has been managed, for centuries, by ANOTHER family.
13/ This book was started by this guy's ancestor (so the tale goes) and was passed down like a family business from father to son over generations!
If a son decides he doesn't want to be in the family business, the family can sell the rights to OUR book to another pundit & so on
If a son decides he doesn't want to be in the family business, the family can sell the rights to OUR book to another pundit & so on
14/ Our book, while never having been digitized, has been duplicated by hand several times both for redundancy and to create a "traveling copy". Only thing missing are original signatures.
Those sigs make the OG book admissable in a court of law, in inheritance disputes for ex.
Those sigs make the OG book admissable in a court of law, in inheritance disputes for ex.
15/ Heres the kicker: These pundits know our family trees better than even we in our family do. I tried to test that.
"You've got my paternal line Kapoors... But what about my Dadi's (Dad's Mom)"
Dude looks at this red book and goes - "Ah, the Khannas. Where shall I start?"
"You've got my paternal line Kapoors... But what about my Dadi's (Dad's Mom)"
Dude looks at this red book and goes - "Ah, the Khannas. Where shall I start?"
16/ This genealogical magician proceeds to rattle off my Dadi's entire family tree, her parents, her brothers, their kids, where those kids live, how many have kids of their own!
In awe of his craft, we make a small "donation" to thank him for his record keeping & off we went 🤑
In awe of his craft, we make a small "donation" to thank him for his record keeping & off we went 🤑
17/ As a kid, I was always jealous of my classmates who could find their ancestors names in the log book at
Personally, I think this centuries old History of the Kapoor family puts the Ellis Island signature book to shame.
Personally, I think this centuries old History of the Kapoor family puts the Ellis Island signature book to shame.
18/ I suppose even with our family's diaspora, whether planned or coerced, it's nice to know that a critical piece of my family's history resides in this holy place, whenever I'd like to come here and visit my past.
/End.
/End.
