Obturator arteryis frequently a branch of anterior division of internal iliac artery or one of the parietal branches of internal iliac artery. But it has attracted attention of pelvic surgeons and anatomists and radiologists because of the high frequency of the variation in its course and origin. The present report demonstrates obturator artery to be arising from the posterior division of internal iliac artery out of 316 pelvises, a rare observation in Indian population. The variation is correlated developmentally and its clinical implications are also discussed