In a first-of-its-kind wedding held in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh, two brothers from Kalog village in the Nainidhar area of Shillai tehsil broke centuries-old traditions. They chose to hold their marriages guided entirely by constitutional and humanist values instead of religious customs.
On October 26, Sunil Kumar and Vinod Kumar got married without a priest, sacred fire, or the traditional seven vows. Instead, they took the Indian Constitution as their only witness.
Inspired by the ideas of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar, architect of Constitution, both brothers replaced religious rituals with a pledge of equality and mutual respect.
After exchanging garlands with their brides, Sunil with Ritu from Katadi village and Vinod with Reena Verma from Naya village, both couples pledged before the Constitution to remain lifelong partners.
They declared Dr BR Ambedkar and the Constitution as witnesses to their union and received blessings from their families and fellow villagers.
A large number of villagers attended the ceremony, praising the couple’s progressive outlook. The family, which follows Buddhism, organised the wedding in accordance with Ambedkarite principles. Their invitation cards carried images of Lord Buddha, Sant Kabir, and Dr Ambedkar, reflecting their belief in equality, rational thought, and constitutional morality.
Both Sunil and Vinod, who are government employees, have been active in spreading social awareness. They believe that marriage is simply a union of two hearts and does not need religious rituals to make it valid. Despite the modern approach, their wedding still included local traditions such as a traditional baraat procession.
The brothers said they hope their decision inspires others to move beyond caste and ritual. “We will continue to work for social reform and motivate the younger generation to do the same,” they said.
A few months back, another unusual wedding took place in the same Shillai region of Sirmaur district, where two brothers revived the Hatti tribe’s ancient custom of polyandry, known as Jodidara Pratha.
Pradeep and Kapil Negi from Thindo village married the same woman, Sunita Chauhan from nearby Kunhat village, in a traditional ceremony held from July 12 to 14 with the consent of both families. The rare marriage drew public attention for bringing back a fading custom.
Also Read: Visually impaired protest over pending jobs
Follow us
