The Head of the World’s Largest Family, A 76YO Man With 39 Wives & 94 Children, Dies in India

As a former child myself, I know that taking care of children can be a nightmare sometimes.

They poop all over the place, don’t see anything wrong with yelling at the top of their lungs for hours, and aren’t great with rules.

That, along with rising living costs, may explain why couples are having fewer children these days.

One man in northeast India broke the mould, however, by fathering 94 children.

Don’t worry though, he had 39 wives to help him look after them.

The Head of the World’s Largest Family, A 76YO Man With 39 Wives & 94 Children, Dies in India

Sadly, the famous head of the world’s largest family has passed away on Sunday (13 June), according to the chief minister of his home state.

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

The man, Ziona Chana, was the head of a local Christian sect that allows polygamy, the practice of marrying multiple spouses.

Now, if you count Ziona’s grandchildren, he has the world’s largest family, with—brace yourself—39 wives, 94 children, and 33 grandchildren. If you count all three generations of the family, Ziona’s family numbers 167, including himself.

But if you don’t, then the title goes to Winston Blackmore, who has around 150 children from 27 wives—that makes 178 people in total. Blackmore is the head of a polygamous Mormon sect in Canada.

Home Became a Tourist Attraction

As you can imagine, you need a rather large space to house 167 family members.

This is why the family lives in a massive four-story pink structure with around 100 rooms in Baktawng, a remote village in Mizoram, which is a state in northeast India.

Due to the large house and even larger family, the home quickly became a tourist attraction.

Wanted to Expand Family Further

The man’s local Christian sect, called “Chana”, was founded by his Ziona’s father in 1942. It currently has a membership of hundreds of families.

Ziona married his first wife when he was 17, and went on to become the head of the sect.

This guy’s on a completely different level; at 17, I was just trying not to flunk school.

He even claimed to have once married ten women in one year. What a Chad.

Locals in the area say Ziona liked to have seven or eight of his wives by his side at all times, which may explain why some of his wives stayed in a dormitory near his private bedroom.

Believe it or not, Ziona intended to keep growing his family before his death. I guess having 166 wives and children isn’t enough for this man.

Speaking to Reuters in 2011, he said: “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.”

According to India Today, the 76-year-old had been sick since 7 June and was unable to eat anything. He was suffering from health issues including diabetes and high blood pressure as well.

Ziona lost consciousness on 11 June and passed away at a private hospital in Mizoram’s capital city Aizawl two days later.

But he no doubt has a lot of people to carry on his legacy.

Feature Image: sweet marshmallow / Shutterstock.com