Two Indian Brothers Marry Same Woman
In a rare wedding that has gone viral online, two brothers from rural India have married the same woman — a practice rooted in ancient tradition but now drawing criticism from women’s rights advocates.
The brothers, Pradeep and Kapil Negi, tied the knot with Sunita Chauhan in a traditional three-day ceremony attended by hundreds of villagers in Himachal Pradesh, a Himalayan state in northern India. All three belong to the Hatti tribe, where polyandry — the practice of one woman marrying multiple men — is still recognized in certain tribal communities.
Though polyandry is officially banned in most of India, it remains legal in specific tribal regions like Sirmaur, where customs are protected under local law.
During the wedding, the trio walked around a sacred fire as villagers sang traditional folk songs — a central ritual in Hindu marriage ceremonies.
“We followed our tradition proudly. It was a joint decision,” said Pradeep Negi.
His brother Kapil added, “We’re committed to supporting and loving our wife as a united family.”
One of the brothers works overseas, while the other is a government employee. Under their tribal custom, the wife alternates time with each brother based on a mutually agreed schedule.
The eldest brother is listed as the legal father of any children, who are raised together by the whole family.
However, the marriage has sparked criticism from groups like the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), which called the union a form of exploitation.
“Such practices go against a woman’s fundamental rights,” said AIDWA General Secretary Mariam Dhawale.
Still, local leaders defended the tradition. Lawmaker Harshwardhan Singh Chauhan explained that the practice is a protected part of Sirmaur’s tribal heritage.
“We have customary laws that recognize polyandry,” he said.
Kundal Lal Shashtri, a Hatti elder, also referenced the Mahabharata, an ancient Indian epic, where a woman named Draupadi was famously married to five brothers — a historical precedent often used to justify the practice.
An estimated 300,000 people from the Hatti tribe live in the remote hills of Himachal Pradesh, where customs like these continue to be part of everyday life — even as they spark debate in modern India.
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