Aizawl, September 21, 2026 – Even today, there lives a family in Baktawang village of Mizoram which is a surprise not only for India but also for the world. It is a matter of Chana family, which is counted among the largest families in the world. The number of members of this family is not 40…50…100…150 but 200. This family includes 39 wives, 94 children, 14 daughters-in-law, 33 grandchildren and many other members. Just imagine, if 30-40 guests come to a normal house during a wedding, it becomes difficult to maintain order. Hundreds of people live, gather and spend their lives together there every day. This is what makes this family different from other families in the world.
An extraordinary story that started from a Christian religious community
The story of this family is not just a matter of numbers. It began in 1942, when Khuangtuaha founded a Christian religious community named 'Lalpa Kohhran Thar'. After the death of his father in 1997, Ziona Chana became the head of this community and he started being called “Hotupa” i.e. leader. Under his leadership both the family and the community grew rapidly. Ziona Chana passed away in the year 2021, but even today the family is organized and is following the same rules as before.
A house with 100 rooms is like a hostel.
The four-storey house named “Chhuan Thar Run” built among the hills of Baktawang, at first glance looks like a hostel or a small hotel. There are about 100 rooms in the house and a separate guest house has also been built for guests coming from outside. Today this house is included in the most popular tourist places of Mizoram. Tourists reaching here are amazed to see how such a huge structure was built for a family and how it is being used even today. The interesting thing is that there is a certain rule and order even inside the house. According to reports, the older wives live upstairs while some of the younger wives live on the ground floor. The distribution of responsibilities within the household is such that despite the large population, the system does not break down.
This family's kitchen is the biggest surprise
If 10 guests come to an ordinary house, then both the budget and the effort of the kitchen increases. But imagine a kitchen where food is prepared not for dozens but for hundreds of people every day! To prepare food, big aluminum utensils, big stove and teamwork are used. The daughters-in-law of the house prepare the food, the daughters take care of the cleaning and clothing work, while the men are engaged in farming, animal husbandry, masonry work and small industries. In other words, this family runs on a self-reliant system like a small village.
create your own ecosystem
Another unique thing about this huge family is that it has created a separate system for itself. The family grows its own grains and does animal husbandry. Works like making furniture and preparing aluminum utensils are also done by the family members. Zion Chana also established a school for his children. Along with the government curriculum, community related subjects are also taught in the school. This is the reason why this family is not only large, but is also largely self-reliant. This model attracts people the most.
Got a chance to make a Guinness record, but refused it
Another interesting thing is that because of Atala's big family, the world's media went after Zion Chana. In the year 2011, the process of verification by Guinness World Records was also started. But it is said that the head of the family, Ziona Chana, refused to be included in the record as he did not like publicity. Nevertheless, the World Record Academy, The Wall Street Journal and London World Records had ranked this family among the largest families in the world.
Died in 2021, family still intact
Ziona Chana died on 13 June 2021 at the age of 75. At that time he had health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure. Although Zion Chana is no more in this world, but his 100-room house built in the hills of Baktawang is still inhabited. Hundreds of people still live together, eat together and keep alive a tradition which is fast becoming extinct in modern India.