Brothers marry same woman in Himachal Pradesh!
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Shimla: In Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district, a woman married two brothers under a tradition belonging to their community. The trio, belonging to the Hatti community, married in a public ceremony where thousands of locals were present.
The bride is named Sunita Chauhan, and her grooms are Pradeep and Kapil Negi. Their wedding spanned three days and featured folk songs, dances, and rituals belonging to the Hatti community. The polyandrous practice of their community is known as “Jodidara”.
Sunita said that her decision to marry two men was mutual and free from any pressure, NDTV reported.
The Jodidara tradition features the marriage of a woman to two or more men who are brothers. The practice claims historical and mythical roots in the Hatti community, linking to the Mahabharata, where Panchala princess Draupadi was married to five of the Pandava brothers. The locals here in Sirmaur call the polyandry practice Ujla Paksh or Jodidaran.
Similar to what the Mahabharata says, the Jodidara tradition mandates brothers to shift their wives on a mutually agreed schedule, which could be nightly, weekly or otherwise, NDTV says. Their children will be raised by the entire family, and the eldest brother is named as the children’s legal parent. Also, all the brothers actively share parenting responsibilities.
The system claims to preserve unity in joint families, as when brothers share a wife, it is claimed that the practice strengthens their bond. The practice also claims to provide economic and social stability.
But polyandry is prohibited in India. However, the Himachal Pradesh High Court has acknowledged and protected this custom under "Jodidar Law".
