A 76-year-old man, Ziona Chana, who was known as the leader of the world’s largest family, passed away in northeastern India, as confirmed by Zoramthanga, the chief minister of Mizoram. Ziona was the head of a local Christian sect that permitted polygamy, and he had 39 wives, 94 children, and 33 grandchildren.
Ziona, residing in a massive four-story pink structure with approximately 100 rooms in Baktawng village, Mizoram, attracted attention, turning the village into a tourist destination. The Chana sect, established by Ziona’s father in 1942, boasts hundreds of families. Ziona himself got married at the age of 17 and, at one point, claimed to have married ten wives in a single year.
The family members lived in close quarters, with a dormitory near Ziona’s private bedroom. Ziona was known for keeping seven or eight of his wives by his side. Despite the already enormous size of his family, Ziona expressed a desire to expand it even further, stating in a 2011 interview, “I am ready to expand my family and willing to go to any extent to marry. I have so many people to care for and look after, and I consider myself a lucky man.”
IMPORTANT WORDS:
- Confirmed: Officially verified or validated; something that has been established as true.
- Polygamy: The practice of having more than one spouse simultaneously, typically referring to a man having multiple wives or a woman having multiple husbands.
- Residing: Living or dwelling in a particular place.
- Boasts: Proudly possesses or exhibits; to speak with excessive pride about one’s achievements, possessions, or qualities.
- Claimed: Stated or asserted something as true, often without providing conclusive evidence.
- Dormitory: A large bedroom for a number of people in a school or institution, typically with individual beds.
- Despite: In spite of; notwithstanding; regardless of.
- Enormous: Extremely large in size, extent, or amount; huge.
- Desire: A strong feeling of wanting or wishing for something; a longing or craving.
