Common questions about gotra, mool and recording a family the Panji way. The chat assistant gives the same answers — you can ask it there too.
Please use the father’s gotra — the family you were born into — and the father’s mool. The Panji follows the father’s line, so a daughter stays in her father’s family there. Many families count a wife in her husband’s gotra for puja after marriage; his gotra is already recorded in his own family’s tree. Using the father’s gotra here keeps every record consistent. The same goes for a wife, mother, sister or daughter you add: her father’s gotra and mool.
Sons and daughters get their father’s gotra and mool, and the app fills them in for you — you do not have to type them again for each child.
No. This app only records a family’s lineage. It does not say whether two families may marry. For that, please ask your elders, your purohit or a panjikar.
No problem. Type it exactly as your family writes it. It is saved as you typed it and noted as a new entry for the Panji team to review — the reference list came from a single panjikar, so new names are expected.
A gotra is the line of an ancient rishi that a family traces itself to; it passes from father to children. A mool is different: it is a lineage named after the family’s ancestral village. Both come from the father, and together they are a family’s Panji identity.
A gotra is the line of an ancient rishi that a family traces itself to. It passes from father to children, so a father and all his children share it.
A mool is a lineage named after a Maithil family’s ancestral village, for example Sarisaba, Sodarapura or Khandabala. Together with the gotra it is part of the family’s Panji identity. Like the gotra, it comes from the father.
A gotra is usually written or known in: your Kundli or janam patri, your parents and elders, your family purohit or pandit, or old papers such as a Panji extract or a puja sankalp. Not sure? Tap “I don’t know my gotra” and fill it in later from “Still to fill in”.
Your mool is tied to your ancestral village. Ask an elder or your purohit, or look at old Panji papers. You can also search Google for your gotra and mool. Not sure? Skip it and fill it in later.
The Panji follows the father’s line. A wife, sister or daughter is recorded by name only. Her own family belongs in her father’s tree, and her husband’s family and children in his tree. This avoids writing the same people twice. When both families have trees here, the app can connect them through her.
Your mother’s side belongs to her father’s family tree, so it is not asked here. If that family also builds a tree, the app can connect the two through your mother.
Yes. Almost every question can be skipped — say “skip” or “I don’t know”. A tree with a few gaps is better than none. You can fill the gaps later from “Still to fill in”.
No. The year alone is fine. If you only know roughly, give the year you think is closest, or skip. The full date is best when you have it.
Yes — type in English, Hindi (Devanagari) or Hinglish; names get their Devanagari spelling automatically. Use the language button at the top to see the questions in Hindi. Maithili is not available yet.
Tap the person in the tree to correct anything, add a photo or remove them. To fix an earlier answer, reply to that chat message (right-click, or long-press on a phone). “Undo my last answer” takes back the last step.
When the interview is done, tap Download. You get a PDF — the whole family chart or just your own line, from A4 up to a poster — and an Excel list of everyone in the tree.
Until you save it online, the tree lives only on this phone or computer, so clearing the browser’s data could remove it. Sign in with your email or Google and choose to save it online to keep it safe and open it from any phone.
Yes, building your tree is free. When you download, there is an optional contribution to support the project; you can always skip it.
A Panji is the traditional genealogical record of Maithil families, kept by panjikars. PAAG Foundation (Panji Ancestry & Graph) helps families record their lineage in that tradition. The paag is the cap worn in Mithila as a mark of honour.
Your tree is yours. Until you choose to save it online it stays on your own phone or computer. We do not sell data or show advertising. View-only links never show phone numbers. You can delete your online copy at any time. Details are on the Privacy page.
If something here looks wrong, or your family’s custom is different, please tell us. Your family’s own tradition and your elders’ guidance always come first.
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