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India Today
20-07-2025
- General
- India Today
Why two brothers married one bride in Himachal and is it legal?
In a rare instance of polyandrous marriage, two brothers from Himachal Pradesh's Hatti tribe tied the knot with the same woman in a traditional ceremony locally known as Jodidara. The three-day celebration took place in Shillai village of Sirmaur district, beginning on July 12, and drew hundreds of guests with vibrant local music and bride, Sunita Chauhan married two brothers, Pradeep and Kapil Negi, in a traditional ceremony held on July 12 in Shillai village, Himachal Pradesh. The three-day celebrations featured local folk songs, dances, and were attended by hundreds of guests. The marriage was solemnised under the longstanding polyandry who works in a government department, said, 'We followed the tradition publicly as we are proud of it, and it was a joint decision.' Kapil, employed abroad, added, 'We're ensuring support, stability and love for our wife as a united family. We've always believed in transparency.' Sunita said, 'I was aware of the tradition and made my decision without any pressure.' WHAT IS POLYANDRY, AND WHY IS IT PRACTISED? Polyandry—where a woman marries multiple men, usually brothers—was once common among the Hatti tribe, especially in Sirmaur. Known as Jodidara or Jajda, this form of marriage remains recognised under Himachal Pradesh's revenue laws. The Hatti community, granted Scheduled Tribe status three years ago, inhabits the Trans-Giri region along the Himachal Pradesh–Uttarakhand custom is common not only in Himachal's Kinnaur district but also in Jaunsar Babar, a tribal area of to Kundan Singh Shastri, general secretary of the Kendriya Hatti Samiti, 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,' PTI quoted him as explained that beyond preserving land, polyandry fosters unity among brothers and preserves the joint family system, which is vital in remote hilly terrains. 'If you have a bigger family, more men, you are more secure in a tribal society,' he said, adding that the tradition helps manage scattered agricultural lands requiring long-term collective also noted that Jajda encourages brotherhood and mutual understanding, especially when brothers from different mothers marry the same woman. Economic needs and the demands of farming in far-flung areas have translated into this socio-cultural IS THE WEDDING PERFORMED?The wedding, called Jajda, begins with the bride's procession to the groom's village. A ritual named Seenj is performed at the groom's residence, where a priest chants mantras in the local dialect and sprinkles holy ceremony ends with the couple being offered jaggery and blessings from the Kul Devta (family deity), symbolising a sweet and harmonious life its historical and cultural significance, polyandry is declining due to rising literacy, changing socio-economic conditions, and evolving gender roles. Many communities now solemnise such marriages discreetly. IS IT LEGAL?The custom is recognised under Himachal Pradesh's revenue laws. The Hattis are governed by the Hindu Marriage Act and for official purposes. However, there are provisions in Indian laws to protect the customs and traditions of other tribal an interview with last year, Kundan Singh Shastri, general secretary of Hatti Central Coimmittee, said 'Jodidaran' will die a slow death as more villagers become educated and shift to cities for to the recent polyandry in Sirmaur district, Ransingh Chauhan, a lawyer, said 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'."Hundreds of marriages happen through polyandry and other age-old traditions. Media highlighted the marriage in Shillai prominently and they should not be astonished as this is a regular phenomenon. The practice is being done to ensure that families stay united and lands are not divided among themselves," Chauhan, a legal advisor for the Central Hatti Committee, told India Today's TV sister channel, Aaj Tak. - Ends advertisement
Mint
20-07-2025
- General
- Mint
2 brothers, 1 wife: Why is polyandry practiced by Himachal Pradesh's Hatti tribe and what is it called
An atypical tradition of Hatti community is in the limelight after wedding photos of a bride, who married two grooms, went viral. This unusual wedding took place in Himachal Pradesh. While many from the community no longer follow this outdated practice, this trio embraced the age-old polyandry tradition. The woman named Sunita Chauhan tied the knot with two brothers in Himachal's Shillai village on July 12 in a regular ceremony. The three-day wedding festivities involved local folk songs, dances and hundreds of guests, PTI reported. The grooms Pradeep and Kapil Negi solemnised the marriage under the anachronistic tradition of polyandry. This polyandry tradition of Hatti community, declared as Scheduled Tribe, is recognised by Himachal Pradesh's revenue laws and is known as "Jodidara". This tradition is prevalent in Kinnaur, a tribal district of Himachal Pradesh and Jaunsar Babar, tribal area of Uttarakhand. The unconventional tribal tradition of marriage is called 'Jajda' locally. The bride is escorted to groom's village in a procession and the ritual known as "Seenj" which is performed at the residence of the groom. One of the main reasons why this tradition came into existence was to ensure that the ancestral land was not divided after marriage, PTI reported citing expert view. While tribal women's share in the ancestral property is a contentious issue, polyandry continues to be a practising tradition in some villages in a clandestine manner. According to general secretary of Kendriya Hatti Samiti, Kundan Singh Shastri, this tradition was invented thousands of years ago to save a family's agricultural land from further division. The Hatti community leader further noted that Jajda tradition promotes brotherhood and mutual understanding in a joint family setup, PTI reported. Understanding deepens when two or more brothers, including those born from different mothers, marry a single bride, Kundan Singh Shastri said. The third reason the general secretary mentioned for the prevalence of Jajda is 'security' while he emphasised that it also helps in managing scattered agriculture lands. The economic needs have translated to socio-cultural practices as the far-flung farming lands in hard hilly areas require a family for a long-time care and cultivation. "If you have bigger family, more men, you are more secure in a tribal society", PTI quoted Kundan Singh Shastri as saying. Thus, the above-mentioned reasons have kept the thousand-year-old polyandry practice still alive. However, with increasing literacy among women and economic uplift of communities, polyandry cases are on massive decline.
