The world’s biggest family: The man with 39 wives, 94 children and 33 grandchildren
* Ziona Chana lives with all of them in a 100-room mansion
* His wives take it in turns to share his bed
* It takes 30 whole chickens just to make dinner
He is head of the world’s biggest family – and says he is ‘blessed’ to have his 39 wives.
Ziona Chana also has 94 children, 14-daughters-in-law and 33 grandchildren.
They live in a 100-room, four storey house set amidst the hills of Baktwang village in the Indian state of Mizoram, where the wives sleep in giant communal dormitories.
The full monty: The Ziona family in its entirety with all 181 members
You treat this place like a hotel: With 100 rooms the Ziona mansion is the biggest concrete structure in the hilly village of Baktawng
Mr Chana told the Sun: ‘Today I feel like God’s special child. He’s given me so many people to look after.
‘I consider myself a lucky man to be the husband of 39 women and head of the world’s largest family.’
The family is organised with almost military discipline, with the oldest wife Zathiangi organising her fellow partners to perform household chores such as cleaning, washing and preparing meals.
One evening meal can see them pluck 30 chickens, peel 132lb of potatoes and boil up to 220lb of rice.
Coincidentally, Mr Chana is also head of a sect that allows members to take as many wives as he wants.
Feeling peckish? The senior ladies of the Chana family show what it takes just to make a meal
The wives and I: Mr Ziona Chana poses with his 39 wives at their home in Baktawang, Mizoram, India
He even married ten women in one year, when he was at his most prolific, and enjoys his own double bed while his wives have to make do with communal dormitories.
He keeps the youngest women near to his bedroom with the older members of the family sleeping further away – and there is a rotation system for who visits Mr Chana’s bedroom.
Rinkmini, one of Mr Chana’s wives who is 35 years old, said: ‘We stay around him as he is the most important person in the house. He is the most handsome person in the village.
She says Mr Chana noticed her on a morning walk in the village 18 years ago and wrote her a letter asking for her hand in marriage.
Shared bedroom: A look inside the four-storey mansion, Chhuanthar Run – The House of the New Generation
Another of his wives, Huntharnghanki, said the entire family gets along well. The family system is reportedly based on ‘mutual love and respect’
And Mr Chana, whose religious sect has 4,00 members, says he has not stopped looking for new wives.
‘To expand my sect, I am willing to go even to the U.S. to marry,’ he said.
One of his sons insisted that Mr Chana, whose grandfather also had many wives, marries the poor women from the village so he can look after them.
?I feel like God?s special child. He?s given me so many people to look after,? he said.
?I consider myself a lucky man to be the husband of 39 women and head of the world?s largest family.?
The family is organised with almost military discipline, with the oldest wife Zathiangi, 69, drawing up schedules for her fellow partners to take turns performing household chores such as cleaning, washing and preparing meals.
One evening meal can see them pluck 30 chickens, peel 132lb of potatoes and boil up to 220lb of rice.
The compound has its own school, a playground, carpentry workshops, piggery and poultry farms and a vegetable garden big enough to supply the whole family.
Conveniently, Ziona is also head of a sect that allows members to take as many wives as he wants.
He even married ten women in one year, when he was at his most prolific, and enjoys his own double bed while his wives have to make do with sharing.
He keeps the youngest women near to his bedroom with the older members of the family sleeping further away – and there is a rotation system for who visits Ziona’s bedroom.
Rinkmini, one of Ziona’s wives, who is 35, said: ?We stay around him as he is the most important person in the house. He is the most handsome person in the village.?
All smiles: Engi, five, is the youngest of Ziona’s children. She is surrounded by other young family members in the village
Not your usual dinner time: A wife of Ziona prepares breakfast at home
She said Ziona noticed her on a morning walk in the village 18 years ago and wrote her a letter asking for her hand in marriage.
Another of his wives, Huntharnghanki, said the entire family gets along well. The family system is reportedly based on ?mutual love and respect?.
And Ziona, whose polygamous religious sect has 4,000 members, says he has not stopped looking for new wives.
?To expand my sect, I am willing to go even to the U.S. to marry,? he said.
One of his sons insisted that Ziona, whose grandfather also had many wives, marries the poor women from the village so he can look after them.
THE WIVES
Zathiangi, 71, was the first woman Ziona married while Hmaii, 57, became his second wife
Pari, 60, is the 3rd wife, while Tlungi, 65, was the fourth
Sangi, 62, is the 5th wife , while Sangi, 58, is Ziona’s 6th wife
Muani, 41, was the 7th wife and Changliani, 60, was the 9th
Malsawmi, 48, is Ziona’s tenth wife while Thangzeli, 40, was the 14th
Chuani, 40, is the 15th wife and Muanpuii, 38, is number 16
Sawmi, 30, is wife number 17th and Matluangi, 37, is the 19th
Zuali, 37, is the 20th wife, while Khumi, 65, is the 21st
Ngeni, 37, is Ziona’s 22nd wife and Rawni, 57, is the 23rd
Remi, 37, is wife number 26th and Hritpuii, 32, is the 27th
Rami, 27, is the 33rdwife, Lalthai, 38, is the 34th wife
Lawmii, 34, is wife number 35th (left) , and Rizapi, 35, is the 36th wife (right)
Kimii, 36, is the 37th wife (left), and Thari, 30, is the 38th wife (right)
Siami, 30, is the 39th wife and Ziona, 67, is one busy man!
