What is Kareva Marriage? A Traditional Widow Remarriage Custom in North India

Kareva marriage, also known as Chaddar Andaazi, is a traditional widow remarriage practiced mainly in North India’s agrarian communities, especially among Jats in Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.

It involves a widow marrying her late husband’s brother or a close relative through a simple ceremony with a white cloth (chaddar). This custom aims to provide social and financial security to widows and keep property within the family. 

Courts have accepted a kareva marriage as a form of widow remarriage, but clarified it doesn’t grant all legal rights of a formal marriage.

There is also uncertainty about the property and inheritance rights of children born from these marriages, which the Delhi High Court to examine soon.