Indian 'throuple' legally tie the knot in ancient tribal tradition - as woman adheres to marriage 'rota' and juggles time between two brothers

Daily Mail​

25-07-2025

An Indian 'throuple' has legally tied the knot in an ancient tribal tradition as the wife adheres to a marriage 'rota' and splits time between two brothers,
The newlyweds insist they're proud of the custom, but have since found themselves at the centre of a social media storm.
The backlash against Sunita Chauhan and her two husbands - brothers Pradeep and Kapil Negi - has left the trio from the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh shaken.
'When I read some of the comments, I feel like some notorious criminal,' Pradeep told The Times.
Hailing from the Shillai village in the Sirmaur district, Pradeep, Kapil, and Sunita belong to the Hatti tribe that has practiced polyandry - when a woman has more than one husband - for many years.
While it is outlawed in India, the custom is protected in some of the country's tribal areas like Himalayan territories where it is known as 'Jodidara'.
The ancient tradition - called 'Jodidara' - is rooted in an effort to ensure tribal land is not divided with every new generation and promoting unity between families.
However, instances of polyandry are still few and far between, with Indian media outlet NDTV reporting only five such marriages have taken place within the Hatti tribe in the past six years.
So when videos of Sunita, Kapil, and Pradeep's three-day wedding were circulated online, they sparked national and international scrutiny - interest that the newlyweds say has caused them distress.
'We've just withdrawn into a shell,' government employee Pradeep said. 'We're not celebrities. We're just ordinary villagers and we never expected this kind of interest.'
While these weddings are usually performed in secret, Pradeep told the Press Trust of India news agency that his brother and their new bride decided to 'follow the tradition publicly.'
Their three-day wedding culminated on July 12 and was held amidst massive fanfare - as the families' relatives joined hundreds of villagers from nearby areas to celebrate the union.
One of the Negis' family members, Hari Singh said the marriage had brought great joy to members of their tribe as he praised Sunita, Pradeep, and Kapil - who lives and works abroad - for 'creating history by marrying publicly'.
Before long, clips from the ceremony began circulating online - triggering a media storm that has forced the 'throuple' to defend themselves against criticism, including condemnation from women's rights groups.
A representative for the All India Democratic Women's Association reportedly told local media called the marriage an 'act of women's exploitation' that violated the 'funfamental rights of a woman'.
As per the 'Jodidara' custom, the wife spends time with the brothers as per a mutually agreed-upon rota. It is not clear whether the woman has any say in deciding this rotation.
Under this kind of arrangement, the family raises any children they have together - but the elder sibling is the legal father.
In some cases, children born to these tribal Indian 'throuples' are randomly assigned a father when it is not possible to determine who the biological parent is, a local politician told The Times.
However, Sunita has maintained this marriage is 'my choice' in a statement to Indian newspaper The Tribune.
'We have made this commitment together, and I believe in the bond we have formed,' she said.
Local politicians and administrators have also defended the 'throuple' and the practice - also known as 'Draupadi Pratha' in a reference to the Hindu epic, the Mahabharat.
The story goes that its female protagonist, Draupadi, prays for a husband who is strong, handsome, noble, intelligent, and a skilled archer.
Since no one man could have all these qualities, the Hindu god Shiva blesses her with five husbands - the Pandava brothers.
Local lawmaker Harshwardhan Singh Chauhan told The Hindu it would be 'a rare house' in Shillai where this kind of marriage 'has not taken place'.
He added that 'we have a customary law to protect polyandry' in a statement to reporters on-ground, The Straits Times reported.
A local tribe leader, Kundal Lal Shastri cited the ancient Hindu epic, the Mahabharata, while justifying the custom.
Jagat Singh Negi, a local politician who is known to the families but not related to the brothers, reiterated no woman from the Hatti tribe was forced into these polyandrous marriages - adding 'Sunita was perfectly happy with the proposal'.
One of Sunita's husbands, Kapil - who works in the hospitality industry and doesn't live in India - added: 'We've always believed in transparency.