This week Ziona Chana passed away in India, the leader of a polygamous religious sect and the man with the largest family in the world: he had 39 women, 94 children and 33 grandchildren , nothing more and nothing less. A large family made up of more than 180 people.
They all lived together in a four-story, 100-bedroom building known as the New Generation Residence , which has attracted the attention of travelers from all over the world for years.
It is said that the women shared a bedroom near Ziona Chana’s private room , and that he always liked having seven or eight around at all times.
Despite being the man with the largest family in the world , in an interview he gave in 2011 he said he intended to make her grow even more.
Death of Ziona Chana
At a hospital in Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram state, doctors declared Ziona Chana deceased on Sunday. He suffered from hypertension and diabetes . However, the 2,000 followers of the sect did not accept his passing and refused to bury him on Monday. The secretary of the congregation, Zaithankhumma, has explained through a statement that his body is still warm and it is still possible to feel his pulse. Furthermore, there are no signs of rigor mortis, so burying the leader would be a great injustice.
For her part, one of Ziona Chana’s daughters, Zonunthari, has explained to the EFE agency that the decision about her father’s funeral and burial depends on the entire community , not just on her family. Finally, it will be the elders of the congregation who will decide when, where and how the rites are celebrated. However, the decision could take more than a week to arrive.
With heavy heart, #Mizoram bid farewell to Mr. Zion-a (76), believed to head the world’s largest family, with 38 wives and 89 children.
Mizoram and his village at Baktawng Tlangnuam has become a major tourist attraction in the state because of the family.
Rest in Peace Sir! pic.twitter.com/V1cHmRAOkr— Zoramthanga (@ZoramthangaCM) June 13, 2021
Ziona Chana’s grandfather was the founder of the sect in the 1930s, and today it has several hundred families . He married his first wife when he was just 17 years old, and once recounted that in a single year he had married 10 different wives.
Today it has 1,700 members, including four generations of Ziona Chana’s family. The vast majority of them are dedicated to pottery and cabinetmaking .
Its philosophy is based on Christian principles , although the leaders of the Presbyterian church, the main faith of the state of India, reject polygamy.
