One Wife for Two Brothers: The Hatti Tribe of Himachal Pradesh’s Uncommon Polyandry Tradition
Why One Wife for Two Brothers Still Happens in Himachal's Hatti Tribe
One Wife for Two Brothers: A Tradition Rooted in Land, Loyalty, and Legacy
A rare occurrence that garnered a lot of attention was the marriage of one wife for two brothers from Himachal Pradesh. The centuries-old unorthodox tribal custom of marriage known locally as Jodidara has been resurrected by the men of Himachal’s Hatti community.
After pictures of a bride marrying two brothers in Himachal Pradesh went viral on social media the unusual wedding event attracted national attention. The wedding took place on July 12 in the Sirmaur district’s Shillai village.
The centuries-old custom of polyandry in which a woman marries several men, typically siblings, has been revived by the wedding event but it is currently becoming less and less common.
The Same Woman Marries the Himachal Brothers
Sunita Chauhan the bride married Pradeep and Kapil Negi in a three-day ceremony that included dances, local folk songs and celebrations from the community.
Despite the fact that polyandry is becoming less common in contemporary society the three openly celebrated the custom referring to it as a source of pride.
Historically practiced by the Hatti community which was designated a Scheduled Tribe in 2022 the Jodidara tradition is still recognized by Himachal Pradesh’s revenue laws.
The custom is still practiced in some tribal areas of Himachal like Kinnaur and in the nearby tribal region of Jaunsar Babar in Uttarakhand despite the fact that it is now rare.
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Why Do They Practice This Seldom Seen Tradition?
The bride arrives at the groom’s village in a ceremonial procession to start the wedding ceremony. Seenj, a ritual where priests recite mantras in the local dialect at the groom’s home, is a crucial part of the ceremony.
The custom which has been practiced for thousands of years was first created to avoid heirs dividing up ancestral land according to Kundan Singh Shastri, General Secretary of the Kendriya Hatti Samiti.
According to Shastri this custom was created thousands of years ago to prevent further division of a family’s agricultural land.
The custom encourages harmony and collaboration among extended families including between half-brothers Shastri continued. He claimed that a larger male workforce in tribal society provided both financial advantages and heightened security. In a tribal society having a larger family and more men makes you feel more secure, Shastri continued.
The Trans-Giri area which is located near the border between Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand is home to the Hatti community. Five such polyandrous marriages have reportedly occurred in Badhana village in the Sirmaur district over the past six years according to media reports.
Despite its historical origins the unusual practice is rapidly disappearing as a result of better economic conditions and increased literacy particularly among women.
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What Elders Said?
The Hatti tribe of Himachal is a close-knit group at the border between Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. It was acknowledged as a Scheduled Tribe three years ago. For centuries polyandric weddings were a prevalent custom in the community but things have recently changed.
The village elders stated in the report that although these marriages occur without drawing much attention and are accepted in their community they are uncommon.
The Tribune was informed by Shillai village resident Bishan Tomar 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 marriages take place in private. He was cited by The Tribune as saying This one stood out for its honesty and the dignity with which it was celebrated.
Experts claim that preventing the division of ancestral land is one of the reasons that these marriages have become common in the community.
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