Two brothers from the Hatti tribe in Himachal Pradesh have married the same woman in a traditional polyandrous ceremony, drawing both public attention and criticism from women’s rights advocates. The wedding, held over three days in the Sirmaur district, was attended by hundreds of villagers and marked by local customs, including sacred fire rituals and folk songs.

Pradeep and Kapil Negi, the grooms, married Sunita Chauhan on July 12, proudly embracing a centuries-old tradition still practiced within certain tribal communities in India’s Himalayan regions. While polyandry is officially banned across most of India, exceptions exist in tribal territories where customary law is recognized.

“We followed the tradition publicly as we are proud of it, and it was a joint decision,” said Pradeep. His brother Kapil echoed the sentiment, stating their arrangement was meant to provide “support, stability, and love” as a united family. The brothers, one of whom is a government worker and the other employed abroad, will share household responsibilities and co-parent any future children. By custom, the eldest brother will be recognized as the legal father.

The practice allows the wife to rotate between husbands on an agreed schedule, with the family raising children collectively. Though rare, polyandry remains culturally significant in some remote villages, where it is often linked to historical land preservation practices.

However, the marriage has drawn sharp criticism from the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), which labeled it a violation of women’s rights. “Such acts of women’s exploitation go against the fundamental rights of a woman,” said AIDWA general secretary Mariam Dhawale in a statement to local media.

Despite the backlash, local leaders defended the ceremony. Sirmaur MLA Harshwardhan Singh Chauhan asserted that the practice is legally protected under tribal customary law. Hatti elder Kundal Lal Shashtri also supported the union, referencing the epic Mahabharatawhere Draupadi marries five brothers—an often-cited precedent for such arrangements.

The viral wedding has reignited debate around balancing cultural preservation with modern gender rights, as India continues to grapple with the coexistence of tradition and contemporary social values.