Wednesday, March 9, 2011

The world's largest family

Most people are challenged by one wife and 2 or three children, but not Ziona Chana. Meet the man who heads up the biggest family in the world: 39 wives, 94 children, 14 daughters-in-law and 33 grandchildren – 181 members in its entirety but Chana says that he is not ready to call it quits yet.


The family shares a 100 room, four storey house in the Baktwang village in the State of Mizoram, India – the largest concrete structure in the village. While Chana enjoys his own room with double bed his wives share communal dormitories, with the youngest of the woman closest by. Based on a rotation system they take turns to share his bed with him. As Elvis would say, "That'll be the da-y that I die."



The household is firstly based on ‘mutual love and respect’ and it is said that the family gets along well with one another. Such a large family also needs a lot of organization and is managed with an almost military discipline with the oldest wife delegating the daily household chores like cleaning, laundry and preparing meals. It doesn't leave you with a lot of time to wonder what on earth you got yourself into, does it?

One meal for this family can consist of up to 30 chickens to be plucked, 132lb of potatoes to be peeled and 220lb of rice to be boiled. I’m not sure whether this is any chef’s dream or worst nightmare, but it sounds like a full time job to me.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t share my man, thank you very much!

4 comments:

  1. their own little community in one house, how hideous is that!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nel, I can't imagine how these people integrate into society - doesn't sound like they have much time for it. Do other kids want to be friends with them because they are famous? With so many wives what about something like STD's? From what I've read he is also the head of a sect that allows men to have as many wives as they want. Brought nothing but trouble for Solomon (who had many, many more wives). What is he on about? I wonder :)

    ReplyDelete