A man capable of populating a village nearly all on his own has passed away.
Believed to have the world’s largest family, this man had 86 children with 38 different wives as he practices a sect of Christian faith that allows polygamy for men. His family was a large tourist attraction for their state in India, and his many, many children will be sure to remember his legacy.
Ziona Chana, a man believed to father the world’s largest family, has passed away in India’s Mizoram state.
He was 76 years old, struggling with diabetes and hypertension. His health had been declining at home for some time before he was brought to a hospital this past Sunday, where he was declared dead on arrival.
But he’s leaving behind quite the legacy with his massive family.
Over his lifetime he had 38 wives, with whom he had 86 children. He also had 36 grandchildren at the time of his passing.
Chana and his family belong to a Christian sect called Chana Pawl, founded by Chana’s grandfather in 1942, that allows polygamy for men.
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His death was confirmed by Mizoram’s chief minister.
“Mizoram and his village at Baktawng Tlangnuam has become a major tourist attraction in the state because of the family,” he wrote in a post expressing his condolences.
The fact about his family being a tourist attraction is true, too.
His family lives in a massive, 100-room, 4-story house called Chuuar Than Run, or New Generation House. Other members of the Chana Pawl sect live around this mansion.
They’ve also been featured twice by Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.
However, there appears to be some debate regarding whether or not his family is *actually* the largest.
There are even some inconsistencies with how many children he has, with some outlets reporting he has 86, some saying 89, and others saying 94.
Regardless of the steadfast numbers, he’s still leaving behind quite the impressive story and plenty of people who will tell it.
h/t: BBC
