In Search of Polyandry

Polyandry, or a family structure involving one wife and multiple husbands, is a rarity in most places around the world. But in Himachal Pradesh there are at least a couple of villages that still practice it. In the Lahaul-Spiti Valley -- a deceptive name, since the elevation is over 14,000 feet -- polyandry has been practiced for centuries.

In about six hours I am taking a bus there to write an article about polyandry's simultaneous rise and fall here in India.

What might come as more of a surprise is that polyandry is also becoming more common in the Indian State of Haryana, just north of Delhi. What I'm hearing is that wealthy, landed families are opting for polyandry because it automatically limits the number of children a family has, thus consolidating wealth by obviating the need to split it up between a large number of children.

Getting to Lahaul-Spiti is going to be even more of an adventure than I had originally thought when I started planning this trip (all of two days ago). First, it's an overnight bus ride to Manali, a resort town in the mountains to which many people travel to escape the summer's heat. But then I'll take a four-wheel drive or maybe a bus on some of the worst roads in the country. The monsoon has hit the region, and rock slides often are making the road impassible (or fatal, if you're already on them). But this is about the only time you can go, because ice and snow obstruct the pass during winter months.

When I get back I plan to figure out how to embed a Google map into a blog, but until then, here is a link to my route.