Indian man with 'world's largest family' dies, leaving behind 38 wives and 89 children

Ziona Chana, 76, who headed a Christian sect that allowed polygamy for men, has left behind 38 wives and 89 children.

According to Al Jazeera, the sect, called Chana Pawl, was founded by his father in 1942.  It has about 2,000 members, most of them living in Mizoram’s Baktawang village.

Mizoram and Baktawng Tlangnuam have reportedly become major tourist attractions because of Chana’s family.

Indian media reports said that according to officials, Chana, who also had 33 grandchildren, died due to complications related to diabetes and high blood pressure.

Chana reportedly married his first wife in 1959 when he was 17, reports said, and claimed he once married ten wives in a single year. His last marriage came in 2004 to a 25-year-old.

They shared a dormitory near his private bedroom, and locals said he liked to have seven or eight of them by his side at all times.

Polygamy is illegal under the Indian law. However, a few tribes in India’s northeast allow polygamy under their customary laws, which state authorities permit.