Largest family in the world?

This family with 162 members can easily be the largest in the world living together under one roof in this picturesque village about 100 kilometre from here.

The head of the family and leader of the 'Chana' sect, 66-year-old Ziona, has 38 wives, 94 children with some of his sons having married and having children of their own living together in a RCC building named ‘Chhuan That Run’ or the House of the new Generation.

The sect called Ziona ‘Ka pa’ or 'Father', believes in ‘Kum sang rorel’ or the rule of one thousand years by Christ on earth as foretold in the Bible’s Revelation chapter 20 and that they would be ruling the world with Christ soon. 

One of Ziona’s wives told PTI that though their sons lived in different rooms in the building they all shared the kitchen where they cooked for the entire family. 

"We prepare 30 to 35 kilo of pork when we want to eat meat and require around 50 kilo of rice for dinner," she said. 

The baton of Chana, who led the sect till his death on February 27, 1997, was taken over by his eldest son Ziona, whose name depicts the Jews returning to their homeland in the 1940s.

Chana was reported to have had more wives than Ziona as the sect founder Khuangtuaha, elder brother of Chana believed in liberal theology. 

The members of the sect numbering almost 3,000 live in around 350 houses. 

The majority of the sect members reside in Baktawng village and have a separate locality called Baktawng Tlangnuam while many also lived in Aizawl and other places.

They all contribute one tenth of their monthly earnings for the sect which is used for the development of the community which practises a blend of democracy and communism.

Earlier known as Khuangtuaha Pawl, the sect was formed on June 12, 1942 after the followers of Khuangtuaha were evicted from Hmawngkawn village by the village chief for propagating ‘wrong and dangerous’ theology.

The sect, till today celebrate the ‘Bawkte Kut’ or the festival of the hut on June 12 every year to commemorate the formal formation of the sect.