CULTURE - LAND OF MULTIPLE HUSBANDS.

CULTURE - LAND OF MULTIPLE HUSBANDS

1. Polygamy- Definition : A custom where a man has multiple wives

2. Polyandry- Definition: A custom where a Woman has multiple husbands.

Each one of us is aware of the word polygamy, A culture where a man is allowed to keep multiple wives. The custom was justified as a need, where due to wars ,Male to female ratio was too low in Arab region and women were unable to look after themselves and were exploited by others.

Polyandry is a word which most of us aren’t aware of, and we might need to open our dictionaries to find the meaning.

A concept which we only read or watched in the great Epic Mahabharata. Where Draupadi was mistakenly married to five Pandav brothers by their mother Kunti.

We drove 80km from Dehradun to a land which felt like the edge of the world, to a place called Lakhamandal. A place where clans of Pandav and Kauravs still live.

Whereby Pandavas (The Jaunsaaris) consider themselves of higher caste and Kauravas (The Baawars) are considered to be of lower caste , and yet they celebrate all their festivals together. After all they were brothers in the epic.

Polyandry as a custom was prevalent in this region till one decade back in Jaunsaar- Baawar region. And if local priest is to be believed, the custom is still followed by many families. The Local priests believe the custom is holy and yet the younger generation do not support the custom.

Shiva temple of Lakhamandal, is probably one of the oldest temples in India, It is protected by Archaeological survey of India as every excavation in the temple unearths more mysteries.

The priest even showed us, remains of Lakh Mahal (Mahabharata), where Kaurava conspired against Pandavas to kill them and Pandavas escaped using tunnels,

The Tunnels of Mahabharata are all over in Lakhamandal, and as per the priest the other end of tunnel opens in Hastinapur.

Every Custom of Lakhamandal is connected to Mahabharata. As per locals, Mahabharata was not a fight between good or evil, it was a dispute between brothers, and one who won wrote the History.

Distance from Dehradun- 80Km Can be reached either via Mussoorie or Chakrata