A unique wedding was held in Shillai village in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh, in which two brothers, Pradeep and Kapil Negi married the same woman, Sunita Chauhan. The marriage was concluded according to the ancient tradition of the Hatti community, in which a woman can marry two or more brothers. The ceremony started on 12 July and lasted for three days, which attended hundreds of people. Local folk songs and dances were organized at the wedding, whose video became increasingly viral on social media.
Pradeep Negi said that this marriage took place with his and Kapil’s mutual consent. He said, ‘We have adopted our tradition with pride. This was our shared decision. Kapil also said that ‘we want to give love, stability and support to our wife. We always believe in transparency. ‘
Sunita Chauhan, a resident of Kunhat village, said that she was already familiar with this tradition and she agreed to this marriage with her wish. He said, “I respect this relationship and the bond between the three of us makes me happy.”
According to the revenue laws of Himachal Pradesh, such weddings are recognized under the ‘partner’ tradition. The Hatti community, which got the status of Scheduled Tribes in 2022, is mainly situated on the Himachal-Uttarakhand border. About three lakh people in this community live in 450 villages. In the last six years, at least five such marriages have taken place in Badhana village.
Kundan Singh Shastri, general secretary of the Central Hatti Committee, said that this tradition is thousands of years old, which was aimed at meeting socio-economic needs. More men in the family were required to care for farming and land in mountainous areas. This tradition was also helpful in maintaining unity among the step brothers and ensuring family safety.
However, due to education, social change and economic development, this tradition is now decreasing. Nevertheless, this tradition continues quietly in some villages and has social acceptance. There were earlier such traditions in neighboring areas such as Jaunsar Babar and Kinnaur in Himachal.
This marriage not only reflects the unique tradition of the Hatti community, but also shows that some people are associated with their cultural roots even in modern times.
