Visit by Ishita Shah

The first step towards shaping Pattani Archives began through the "Constructing Personal Archives" program, where Avni Pattani began engaging deeply with her family’s archival materials. Recognizing the need for expert guidance, she invited Ishita Shah, an archivist and historian, to join as a consulting advisor.

On 27th November 2020, Ishita made her first visit to Bhavnagar to see the family’s archival collection in person. During this visit, Avni introduced her to a wide array of materials—ranging from official documents and correspondence to photographs and personal objects. The visit marked the beginning of an important conversation on how the collection could evolve into a more structured archival setup.

Ishita provided initial recommendations on preventive conservation and helped shape a vision for the archive’s potential. This led to the formulation of an initial framework for the Pattani Archives project. In the weeks that followed, extensive discussions with family members around the world took place, paperwork was initiated, and efforts to build partnerships and collaborations were set in motion.