Is polygamy legal in india?

DEFINITION: The term “Polygamy” owes its origins to the Greek {πολυγαμία, polygamía} "the state of marriage to many spouses"). Polygamy therefore means entering into more than two marriages while the first two marriages are still subsisting. read more

Thus polygamy became illegal in India in 1956, uniformly for all of its citizens except for Hindus in Goa where polygamy is legal [citation needed], and for Muslims, who are permitted to have four wives. A polygamous Hindu marriage is null and void. read more

No, Polygamy is not legal in India. The Hindu Marriage Act of 1955, which is applicable to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains, bans the practice of Polygamy in India. The Indian Christian Marriage Act of 1872, for the Christians in India, states the same. However, the Muslims in India can practice polygamy. read more

The Committee on the Status of Women in India, 1974, brought out (Page 67 of the Report) that as per Census of India (1961) Sample survey of 1 Lakh marriages, the polygamy was prevalent among all the communities of India: In percentage terms it was for Tribals (15.2), Buddhists (9.7), Jains (6.7) and Hindus (5.8). read more