Who are the Gayawal Pandas and what role do they play?

The Gayawal Pandas are a specific lineage of hereditary Brahmin priests who have served at Gaya for over a thousand years, maintaining centuries-old ancestral records (called “bahi”) of families across India. When a pilgrim family arrives at Gaya for Pind Daan, the Gayawal Panda traces the family’s ancestral history through the bahi — often spanning 10-15 generations — and performs the specific rituals prescribed for that lineage. The Gayawal Panda system is one of the oldest continuous genealogical records in the world and has helped millions of Indian families reconnect with ancestors they had forgotten. Each village in India has a specific associated Gayawal Panda family, passed down through generations.