Book Details:

• Publisher: Niruta Publications

• Edition: First Edition

• Language: English

About the Book:

This book provides one of the most comprehensive accounts of polyandry in Northern India, focusing particularly on the women involved in polyandrous relationships. It is perhaps the only full-length work that gives in-depth attention to women in a polyandrous context, making it a crucial study in this field. The book's ethnographic approach is grounded in quality fieldwork, offering a first-hand perspective on the subject. The writing is clear and lucid, with theoretical analyses supporting, but never overshadowing, the ethnographic observations.

This study is the first systematic, field-based account of polyandry in the Rawain-Jaunpur (Garhwal) region, an area previously unexamined in terms of polyandrous practices. While polyandry is the central topic, the focus of the book is on the women in these relationships—the bahundhartrika—and their personal struggles and challenges. By developing a structural-comparative perspective, the book explores women's social status in the regions of Jaunsar-Bawar and Rawain-Jaunpur, raising important ethical and political issues related to their position as bahubhartrika. This approach marks a departure from traditional functionalist views, offering a deeper exploration of the socio-political implications of polyandry on women.

About the Author:

Gauri Shankar Bhatt is the Principal Investigator in the UGC project on Woman and Family in Non-Polyandrous Garhwal.