Netr Singh, 47, is the second eldest of four brothers. His elder brother, Suren Singh, 50, and younger brother, Chamel Negi, had left their native village of Shillai—tucked in the Giripar region dominated by the Hatti community—for the defence services and a private job, respectively. When it was time for their marriages, the family elders wanted to follow the traditional Jodidara system, in which brothers share a common wife.But Suren and Chamel, citing the transferable nature of their jobs, declined. Eventually, only Netr and his younger brother, Shanti Ram, married Anchal Devi under Jodidara rituals. The wedding took place on April 19, 2005. Netr now looks after the family’s farmland and cattle, while Shanti Ram runs a small karyana shop near the Thari Devi shrine in Shillai, 200 km from Shimla.The Giripar region covers a large part of Himachal’s Sirmour district—including Shillai, Stone, Kamru, Rajban, parts of Renuka Ji and Paonta Sahib—and stretches into neighbouring Uttarakhand’s Hatti-dominated belt. It is named after the Giri river, which originates in Shimla district, runs through Sirmour, and meets the Yamuna at Paonta Sahib. The land across the river is known as Giripar.“By the time I married under Jodidara, things had already begun changing,” Netr told The Indian Express, flipping through his wedding album. “Now, if ten marriages happen, only one might follow the tradition—and in a modest way. The eldest brother alone shares the stage with the bride and takes the saat phere. Only his horoscope is matched with hers.”The album cover reads: Wedding: Netr Sang Aanchal (Netr with Aanchal). A large photo of Netr in a sehra with bride Aanchal is flanked by a smaller one showing Shanti Ram with her.The couple has five children—three daughters, Vanshika, Mehak and Dikshu, listed under Netr’s name in official records, and one son, Naveen, under Shanti Ram’s. All bear their mother’s name, Anchal Devi, renamed Balma Devi after marriage. One child was later adopted by Suren Singh. Both Suren and Chamel now live outside the Giripar region and visit Shillai only occasionally.Over the years, Netr has seen more Hattis—especially those working away from home—move away from Jodidara. His own wooden, hill-style home lies downhill from that of Pradeep and Kapil Negi, two brothers who married the same woman, Sunita Chauhan from nearby Kunhat, on July 11 this year, keeping the polyandry tradition alive. Videos from their wedding went viral on social media.Story continues below this adLocal priest Mohi Ram Sharma, 63, from Bhangata village, said, “Such marriages are rare now. Times have changed. Many brothers who marry the same woman later separate, leaving her with either the elder or one of the younger brothers. Even in my family, Jodidara has broken down.”He added, “The recent marriage in Shillai happened after nearly four years. The last such wedding I recall was three or four years ago in a nearby village. I don’t know if that one survived.”Jodidara—a form of fraternal polyandry—has long been part of Hatti tribal culture in the Trans-Giri region of Himachal Pradesh and adjoining Uttarakhand. It is believed to have evolved to prevent division of ancestral land and maintain unity among brothers in the harsh, mountainous terrain.In the Hatti wedding tradition, called Jajda, the bride arrives in a procession, where rituals like Seenj are performed. A priest chants mantras, sprinkles holy water, and offers jaggery as a blessing from the family deity.Story continues below this adRamo Devi, 79, a widow once married to three brothers, summed it up: “It all depends on rajamandi (mutual consent). Agar rajamandi sachi hai to Jodidari nibh jayegi (If there is genuine consent, it works. If not, it fails).”Kapil Chand, an office-bearer of the Kendriya Hatti Samiti—which led the push for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Hattis in 2024—said, “Jodidara helped us gain ST recognition. It was a social strategy to combat poverty, prevent land fragmentation, and keep families united. Shillai was once called the kala-pani of Himachal for its remoteness. Even today, it lags behind other backward areas like Bharmour, Pangi, or Kinnaur.”A 2025 study by sociologists Shiv Kumar and Thakur Prem Kumar, published in the Journal of Neonatal Surgery, links Jodidara’s decline to higher education and new job opportunities. “Youngsters work in cities or abroad. They fear being mocked,” said Sharma.Himachal Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan, who represents Shillai in the Assembly, acknowledged that polyandry is “declining with time.”Story continues below this adEchoing him, senior local BJP leader Baldev Singh Tomar—himself from the Hatti community—said, “Jodidara and Jamindara (landlordism) were linked. Jodidara prevented division of land in this once-poor area. Under Jamindara, work was divided: one brother farmed, another tended cows, another goats. The aim was to keep the family strong as a united joint unit.”Tomar, whose three grandfathers all married under Jodidara, added: “Our immediate family still has around 68 members. It’s rare today, but if it happens, people here don’t frown upon it. In fact, they watch with interest to see if the marriage will work—or if one brother will marry separately.”