The largest family of the world resides in Mizoram under one roof
How big a family can you imagine? What if somebody told you that there is a family of over 150 people living under the same roof and that too in India? Yes, it is true. Mizoram-based Ziona Chana who died in 2021, is survived by his 39 wives, 89 children and 36 grandchildren making it the world’s largest family.
The world’s largest family
Are you wondering what we are thinking about? How come Ziona’s family was so big? Well, he married multiple times. He had a total of 39 wives. While his youngest wife is aged 40, the oldest is more than 70 years old.
To support such a huge family, he lived in a 100-roomed house named “Chhuanthar Run” or the ‘New Generation House’ with all members of the family. Since the house and its menmbers were almost a tourist attraction, the ground floor of the house has been turned into a visitor’s area while the top three stories of the building shelter the family members.
What also amazes tourists is the family's self-sustainability as all members work in the same village. They never ventured out for a living. Most members of the family are highly-skilled artisans including carpenters and utensil makers among others. The products produced by the family are sold out of the village and that is the chief source of income for the family.
Ziona Chana and his sect
Ziona Chana was the leader of Chana Pâwl, a Christian sect practising polygamy. It started in 1930s. The founder of the sect was reportedly a man called Khuahtuaha who was thrown out from the church for begetting an illegitimate child.
Following that, Khuahtuaha established his own colony with followers in the Baktawng village, 70 km from the state capital Aizawl. The sect grew in size and was succeeded by Khuahtuaha’s younger brother Challianchana in 1955 and eventually by his nephew Ziona Chana in 1997. The sect grew most rapidly under Ziona Chana to approximately 3000 followers all of whom inhabit the same village now.
The Chana sect at a glance
The sect speaks the Mizo language. While children attend schools, adults usually are busy in various workshops. Even if they withdrew from the church, their administrational setup remians quite the same. For example, they have a ‘chhuanthar military’ with its own uniform and military-like hierarchy. The sect members also love playing football.