Lest We Forget Our Roots

Description

Lest We Forget Our Roots embarks on a riveting journey through 15 generations of the Khanna family and primarily follows the remarkable life of Lala Bishen Das Khanna (Bade Bauji), Shrimati Sukh Devi (Maaji) and their ten children. Their story begins in Amritsar in 1879, where their joint-family home in Lohgarh was the centre of the family...’s burgeoning growth that included the birth of their children and the ups and downs of their textile business. It was a time of great transformation in India, and the family lived through both world wars, the country’s independence and partition, and its subsequent globalization. The narrative explores how the family’s pathway to prosperity was forged by the values imparted by Bade Bauji and Maaji: unwavering loyalty and support of each other through the test of time, and a passionate dedication to higher education, professionalism and hard work.

The compendium also explores the family’s ancestral origins, tracking the Khanna lineage that originates from ancient Vedic rishis and using DNA analysis to trace its migration from the steppes of Central Asia to Punjab over 4,000 years ago. In establishing a foundation in the past, Lest We Forget Our Roots then turns to the present and expands the family history to include over 600 family members, allowing for fascinating analysis of shifting patterns in the family – from the increased empowerment and education of both men and women, to the family’s growing globalization and expansion overseas.

Spearheaded by Deepak Khanna, this Khanna family history lays a strong foundation that reveals the profound connections and core values that bind the past and the present, while providing a roadmap for future generations to connect with their heritage and build upon it in meaningful ways.