In a rare polyandrous ceremony, two brothers from Himachal Pradesh’s Hatti tribe got married to the same woman, and the three-day celebration commenced on July 12.
Confirming the decision was mutual, groom Pradeep Negi, who works in a government department, said, “We followed the tradition publicly as we are proud of it, and it was a joint decision.”
The second groom, Kapil Negi, who is employed abroad, said, “We’re ensuring support, stability and love for our wife as a united family. We’ve always believed in transparency.”
Bride Sunita Chauhan, who belongs to Kunhat village, added, “I was aware of the tradition and made my decision without any pressure.”
What Is Polyandry Ceremony?
Polyandry is where a woman marries multiple men, usually brothers, which was once widespread among the Hattis, especially in the Sirmaur district. The ritual is quite rare nowadays, but the Jodidara practice continues to be recognised under Himachal Pradesh’s revenue laws.
The Hatti community, which was declared a Scheduled Tribe three years ago, resides in the Trans-Giri region, located along the Himachal Pradesh–Uttarakhand border.
In the past six years, five such polyandrous marriages have taken place in Badhana village alone. The community’s apex body, the Kendriya Hatti Samiti, states that the tradition originated from necessity thousands of years ago, as reported by the news agency PTI.
What Is Jodidara?
Jodidara is a traditional form of polyandrous marriage practised among the Hatti tribe in Himachal Pradesh, where a woman marries multiple brothers.
Speaking with PTI, Kundan Singh Shastri, general secretary of the Kendriya Hatti Samiti, stated that the polyandry system helped prevent the division of ancestral land among multiple heirs. “This tradition was invented thousands of years ago to save a family’s agricultural land from further division.”
“If you have a bigger family, more men, you are more secure in a tribal society,” Shastri explained, adding that the tradition also helped manage scattered agricultural lands, which required collective, long-term attention.
Is Polyandry Legal In India?
The Hattis are governed by the Hindu Marriage Act for official purposes. However, there are provisions in Indian laws to protect the customs and traditions of other tribal communities.
In the recent polyandry ceremony, lawyer Ransingh Chauhan said that the practice has been prevalent in the region for decades and stressed it was legally recognised by the Himachal Pradesh High Court under the ‘Jodidar Law’.
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