Man With 39 Wives, Over 120 Children: Ziona Chana’s Extraordinary Family Legacy

Man With 39 Wives, Over 120 Children: Ziona Chana’s Extraordinary Family Legacy

Ziona Chana, the leader of a well-known polygamous sect in Mizoram, India, died in 2021 at the age of 76, leaving behind a family so large it drew worldwide attention. He is survived by 39 wives, 94 children, and 33 grandchildren, though some reports place the number of his children at 89. Chana often claimed he presided over the “world’s largest family,” a title that has been difficult to verify due to varying records and the sheer size of the household.

ALSO READ: Latvia Faces Severe Shortage of Men as ‘Husband for an Hour’ Services Surge in Popularity

He founded the Chana Pawl sect, a religious community of about 2,000 members based in Baktawang village. Chana’s journey into polygamy began early—he married his first wife at 17, and at one point, he reportedly married ten wives in a single year. His youngest wife, who joined the family in 2004, was 25 at the time.

All members of the enormous family lived together in a distinct four-storey pink mansion that housed around 100 rooms. Wives stayed in shared dormitories close to Chana’s private space, while the rest of the household operated with a complex system of shared duties. Though polygamy is illegal in India, exceptions under local customary laws in the northeast made such an arrangement possible.

Chana repeatedly expressed a desire to keep growing his family, describing his life as a unique blend of responsibility, dedication, and blessing.

Man With 39 Wives, Over 120 Children: Ziona Chana’s Extraordinary Family Legacy