2 brothers, 1 bride: Hatti youth revive polyandry in HP

KULLU: A woman has married two brothers in the remote trans-Giri region of Himachal Pradesh's Sirmaur district, drawing cheers from the local Hatti tribe for upholding their traditional ways.

Pradeep and Kapil Negi, brothers from Shillai village, wed Sunita Chauhan of Kunhat village in a three-day ceremony that ended on July 14. The trio shared the wedding stage, danced to traditional folk music, and received blessings from village elders as hundreds of relatives and locals looked on - in a rare public affirmation of the ancient custom of polyandry.

Pradeep works with Jal Shakti department. Kapil is employed in the hospitality sector overseas. Sunita is a trained technician from an industrial training institute (ITI).

"This is not just a marriage - it's a moment of pride," said Hira Singh, a relative of the grooms. "Our educated youth have shown the courage to embrace what many keep secret. They've set an example."

Polyandry remains a socially accepted practice among the Hatti community, which numbers about 300,000 in Sirmaur and is spread across five tehsils and 154 panchayats, including Shillai, Sangrah, Kamrau, Rajgarh, and Nohradhar.

Amichand Kamal, president of Kendriya Haati Samiti said, "Polyandry was the norm in tribal societies as it protected land holdings and avoided widowhood. A woman has more freedom-she can choose her husbands and leave them without stigma."What made this wedding stand out wasn't the custom - but its visibility. "Polyandry may seem primitive to outsiders, but it's legal in our context. Usually these marriages happen quietly," Kamal said. "But this one was public. That makes it powerful."

The tradition was once widespread across tribal belts like Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur. But as nuclear families grew and youth migrated toward city jobs, the practice withered.

"It has nearly vanished in Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur," said Shamsher Singh, a research scholar on folk art from Lahaul-Spiti. "But in trans-Giri and Jaunsar-Bawar of Uttarakhand, it survives, largely because of the Mahabharata's cultural imprint."

Many Hattis believe they descend from the Kauravas or Pandavas. "That belief still echoes in our valleys," Singh said. That belief is more than a custom - it's a legacy. Once in a while, that legacy walks down the aisle to a folk tune.