Himachal’s Rare Polyandry: Woman Wed to Two Brothers to Preserve Jodidara Tradition
Himachal’s Rare Polyandry: Woman Wed to Two Brothers to Preserve Jodidara Tradition
In a remarkable celebration of the Hatti tribe's customs, a bride in Himachal Pradesh married two brothers. Explore this unique wedding that captivated hundreds of guests!
In Himachal Pradesh, a bride married two grooms in an unusual wedding that followed the state's long-standing polyandry customs of the Hatti tribe. Although many members of the community have moved on from this antiquated custom, this trio fully embraced and owned it.
In the Shillai village of Himachal, the woman married two brothers in a ceremony that otherwise appeared to be an ordinary wedding. The three-day ceremony began on July 12. The three of them got married in front of hundreds of guests, accompanied by joyous local folk songs and dances, according to PTI.
The grooms, Pradeep and Kapil, are from the state's Shillai village, while the bride, Sunita, is from the Kunhat village in Himachal. All three of them are members of the Hatti tribe, where these kinds of unions have long been accepted and common.
Sunita claims that she was aware of this custom and made the decision to marry the two brothers on her initiative. She went on to say that she respects the bond the three of them have formed. While Kapil works overseas, the older brother, Pradeep, is employed by the state government. Pradeep claimed that they came to the decision as a group and were proud of their custom.
“We followed the tradition publicly as we are proud of it and it was a joint decision," PTI quoted him as saying.
Despite not living in India, Kapil claimed that he and his brother are "ensuring support, stability, and love for our wife as a united family."
"We've always believed in transparency," he added.
One of the grooms is seen welcoming the bride on stage by holding out his hand in a video from the ceremony that has gone viral on social media.
On the border between Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the Hatti tribe is a close-knit community. Three years back, it was recognised as a Scheduled Tribe. Although polyandric weddings had been a prevalent custom in the community for centuries, things had recently changed. Although these marriages occur without drawing much attention and are accepted in their community, the village elders claim that they are uncommon, according to the PTI report.
Shillai village resident Bishan Tomar told The Tribune that although there were dozens of these marriages in their community, they were not as widely publicized. In our village alone, there are about three dozen families where one husband has several wives, or two or three brothers have one wife. However, those unions take place in silence. He was quoted by The Tribune as saying,
“There are around over three dozen families in our village alone where two or three brothers have one wife, or one husband has multiple wives…But those marriages happen quietly. This one stood out for its honesty and the dignity with which it was celebrated.”
This ceremony does more than bring a rare cultural ritual back to life. It provides insight into gender agency, tribal resilience, and the ways that traditional practices are given new significance in contemporary India. Legal debates, societal acceptance, and the opinions of tribal youth will determine its full significance.
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