Two brothers from Himachal Pradesh’s Hatti tribe married the same woman in a public ceremony held in Shillai village of Sirmaur district, under the traditional practice of polyandry still observed in parts of the Trans-Giri region.
The siblings, Pradeep and Kapil Negi, said the decision to marry Sunita Chauhan was mutual and taken without any external pressure.
“We followed the tradition publicly as we are proud of it, and it was a joint decision,” said Pradeep.
Kapil, who works abroad, added, “We're ensuring support, stability and love for our wife as a united family. We've always believed in transparency,” he said.
The three-day wedding, which began on July 12, was attended by hundreds of people and featured local folk songs and dances. Videos of the event have since gone viral on social media.
Sunita, who hails from Kunhat village, said she was aware of the tradition and entered the marriage of her own free will. She said she respects the bond they have formed.
Polyandry recognised under ‘Jodidara’ in Himachal Pradesh
Revenue laws in Himachal Pradesh recognise such marriages under the term “Jodidara”. In Badhana village in the same region, at least five such polyandrous marriages have been reported over the past six years, PTI reported.
{{/usCountry}}Revenue laws in Himachal Pradesh recognise such marriages under the term “Jodidara”. In Badhana village in the same region, at least five such polyandrous marriages have been reported over the past six years, PTI reported.
{{/usCountry}}The Hatti community, which was granted Scheduled Tribe status in 2022, resides primarily along the Himachal Pradesh–Uttarakhand border.
Polyandry has historically existed in the region, though its prevalence has declined over the years due to rising literacy, social shifts, and economic development.
While such marriages are less common today, village elders said they continue to occur quietly and remain socially accepted in some parts of the community.
An estimated three lakh Hatti community members live in about 450 villages across the Trans-Giri region. Similar traditions were once observed in neighbouring tribal areas such as Jaunsar Babar in Uttarakhand and Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh.
Kundan Singh Shastri, general secretary of the Kendriya Hatti Samiti, said the custom developed over thousands of years to address socio-economic conditions in remote hill regions.
He said polyandry helped maintain unity in joint families even among half-brothers and was also seen as a means of ensuring collective security.
“If you have a bigger family, more men, you are more secure in a tribal society,” Shastri said. He added that such arrangements were also practical for managing widely scattered farmland, which requires long-term care and labour from family members.
With PTI inputs