Weddings are one of the most celebrated events in life, which not only unite two people for the rest of their lives but also bring together two families, paying homage to age-old traditions. While a wedding is typically between two persons, as per the age-old Hattee polyandry tradition, which refers to a customary form of marriage, a bride gets married to two or more husbands.
Two brothers married one bride in Himachal as a part of an age-old tradition
The polyandry tradition has been widely practised among the Hattee tribe in parts of Himachal Pradesh, mainly in the Srimaur and Trans-Giri regions. Recently, one of such regions brought the age-old polyandry marriage into the broad daylight as two brothers got married to a single bride. This unusual yet heartfelt wedding soiree recently grabbed all the attention, and it has been hogging the search bars for the last few hours now.
The grooms open up about their decision to marry the bride, and she reacts
Two brothers from Shillai village of Srimaur of Himachal, Pradeep Negi and Kapil Negi got married to Sunita Chauhan from the nearby village, Kunhat. The event was organised with mutual consent and was an open celebration of the Hattee polyandry tradition, where brothers share a bride. While Pradeep Negi is employed with the Jal Sakti department, Kapil resides abroad and works in the hospitality sector.
Even though the two brothers live apart, to pay homage to their culture, they came together to celebrate it. Speaking of this, Pradeep said that this decision was made jointly, as it involves matters of trust, care, and responsibility. Stating that they celebrated their culture openly with pride, Pradeep mentioned:
“This was our joint decision, it’s a matter of trust, care and shared responsibility. We followed our tradition openly because we’re proud of our roots.”
It’s worth mentioning that the polyandry tradition is still practised in several regions of Himachal, and there have been some rare cases where celebrations took place openly, with the recent case being one of them. Talking about the same, the second groom, Kapil, said that while he lives abroad, this marriage actually ensured stability, support and love for the new bride as a family.
The bride, Sunita, also discussed this, mentioning that it was her decision, albeit a mutual one, to marry Pradeep and Kapil. She shared that she was not at all pressured, and actually, she has faith in the bond they formed. Sunita could be quoted as saying:
“This was my choice. I was never pressured. I know this tradition, and I chose it willingly. We’ve made this commitment together, and I believe in the bond we’ve formed.”
More about the Hattee Polyandry tradition that began centuries ago
For the unversed, according to historical beliefs, the Hattee Polyandry tradition originated centuries ago, possibly even in medieval times, when grooms used to have one wife, and wives shared only one husband. While the exact reason was not known, it was believed that this tradition was followed as a solution to support the families of hilly regions, mainly to keep a family intact, thereby preventing ancestral lands from being divided between two brothers. It was also said to be a solution for the widows and women, and to keep family united.
A resident of the Shillai village said that there are several households wherein this tradition has been followed keeping one wife to several brothers, or one husband to several sisters, but these weddings were done quietly, while the recent marriage was done in broad daylight, which showcases how the younger generations still believe in the age-old traditions and accept them with open hearts.
What do you think about the two brothers marrying one bride as per the age-old tradition?
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