199 people! The largest family in the world lives under one roof (8 photos)

The village of Bakthavng, located in the Indian state of Mizoram, is home to the largest family in the world. Surprisingly, all 199 relatives live in the same house. This place is considered a real tourist attraction.





Pu Ziona left behind 38 wives, 89 children and 36 grandchildren. The head of the family died in 2021 at the age of 76 due to complications caused by hypertension and diabetes. His loved ones continue to live under the same roof in the four-story, 100-room house that Ziona built in the hills of Baktavnga.



Pu Ziona led a Christian sect known as the "New Generation Church" (Chhuan Thar Kohhran), and was considered by many to be a prophet and "the chosen one of God." The man encountered little opposition from members of his community or relatives when he continued to take new wives. Moreover, the locals happily gave their daughters to such a respected man.

The New Generation Church endorses polygamy, and the 2,600 members of the congregation, most of whom live in Bakthavnga, believe in a post-apocalyptic "golden age" in which they will be freed from divine wrath and given special privileges.





"I am not my father! He was chosen by God, and we are ordinary people and cannot have several wives," Record, one of Ziona's younger sons, recently told The Straits Times.

Another house is currently being built in the village for the growing family.



Twice a day, the household gathers in the large hall for meals, and the scene is more like a busy dining room. They share everything with each other - from housework to food and finances.





Supporting a family of 199 people, feeding them and clothing them is not an easy task. Luckily, everyone gets involved. The family has five pig barns with about 100 pigs, a chicken coop, fields with various crops, and several carpentry shops.

Two daily meals are a colossal task, requiring at least 80 kg of rice and a host of other ingredients, all cooked in huge cauldrons. But this is also a common concern, so no one complains.



“Like all people, we face difficulties and adversity, but we support each other,” admitted one of Pu Ziona’s daughters-in-law.



Photographs and portraits of the head of the family still adorn the walls of the house, and the values he preached are glorified by his descendants.

Nunparlian's eldest son realizes that the tradition of polygamy may die with him (he has two wives), but he does not lose hope that his large family will remain united for a long time.