Brothers Unite in Marriage with a Single Bride
In the quiet Himalayan hills of Himachal Pradesh, a rare tradition leapt back into the spotlight when two brothers married the same woman in Shillai village, Sirmaur district. Pradeep Negi, a local government worker, and his sibling Kapil, who works overseas, both took wedding vows with Sunita Chauhan—bringing to life the near-forgotten polyandrous Jodidara, or Draupadi Pratha, tradition still alive in the Hatti tribe.
This wasn’t just a small family affair. The three-day celebration from July 12, 2025, saw hundreds of villagers joining in, filling the air with folk songs, vibrant dancing, and age-old rituals unique to the Hatti. For those witnessing, it wasn’t simply about a marriage—it was about witnessing a living cultural relic barely seen nowadays. The couple, and their family, didn’t shy away from the camera. Instead, they described their pride in keeping the Hatti heritage alive, a point especially important after the community gained official Scheduled Tribe status just three years ago.
Why Polyandry Still Matters Here
Polyandry isn’t some odd quirk for the Hatti community—it’s sewn into their historical fabric. In a region where land is precious and life up in the mountains is tough, sharing a wife among brothers helped families avoid splitting up property with every new generation. Instead of cutting up fields into smaller and smaller pieces, everything stayed together—keeping family, wealth, and safety in place. Older folks and respected leaders like Kundan Singh Shastri still talk about the practical genius behind this custom. He points out that, in isolated places like Trans-Giri, Jodidara made survival sense long ago and helped knit tight family bonds.
Sunita Chauhan, the bride, made it clear her choice was her own—saying she agreed to the custom with full awareness. In a world where women’s roles in tradition often spark debate, her statement grabbed attention and kept the spotlight on the idea of mutual consent within such marriages.
Unlike most similar practices in other parts of the country that faded quietly into history, this polyandrous union isn’t illegal here. Himachal Pradesh’s special Jodidar Law specifically recognizes and protects this form of marriage for the Hatti people. So, while many Indian laws criminalize polyandry, this hill tribe lives its traditions out in the open, and proudly so, with the full support of the government.
Videos from the wedding, now viral online, triggered fierce debate and curiosity. City dwellers and outsiders puzzled over a ceremony they’d usually only see dramatized in movies or history books. For the people of Shillai village, though, it was proof that even as the world modernizes, some old ways can still find their place.
The Hatti community may be small, and their custom outside the mainstream, but events like this show just how powerful cultural identity can be—especially when communities get legal recognition and stand united to protect the practices that define them.
