In a remote Himalayan village in Himachal Pradesh, a pair of brothers have married the same woman in adherence to a centuries-old tribal tradition—rekindling debate over the boundaries between cultural preservation and women’s rights in modern India.
Pradeep and Kapil Negi, residents of the Sirmaur district and members of the indigenous Hatti tribe, tied the knot with Sunita Chauhan in a vibrant three-day wedding held on July 12, drawing hundreds of villagers and relatives. The ceremony, marked by traditional folk songs and the sacred fire ritual, has since gone viral on social media.
“We followed the tradition publicly as we are proud of it, and it was a joint decision,” Pradeep told the Press Trust of India.
Kapil added, “We’re ensuring support, stability and love for our wife as a united family.”
Though polyandry—a woman marrying multiple men—is outlawed in India, exceptions persist in tribal and remote regions such as Sirmaur, where ancient customs still carry legal and cultural weight. In this case, the marriage was conducted in accordance with customary tribal laws.
Under the Hatti tradition, the wife alternates time between the husbands according to a mutually agreed schedule. Children born into the union are raised collectively, with the eldest brother legally recognized as the father.
The practice has triggered sharp backlash from women’s rights advocates, with the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) condemning the union as regressive.
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“Such acts of women’s exploitation go against the fundamental rights of a woman,” said AIDWA General Secretary Mariam Dhawale in an interview with local media.
However, local lawmaker Harshwardhan Singh Chauhan defended the custom, citing its long-standing role in preserving social order in the region.
“We have a customary law to protect polyandry,” he stated.
Kundal Lal Shashtri, a Hatti community leader, invoked mythology to validate the tradition, referencing the Mahabharata, in which the character Draupadi is married to five brothers—an origin often cited in defense of the practice.
Approximately 300,000 members of the Hatti tribe inhabit the rugged hills of Sirmaur, where oral traditions and ancient practices still dictate many aspects of social life.
The wedding has reignited national discourse on gender equality, legal pluralism, and the clash between cultural heritage and constitutional protections.