The father of the world's largest family with 167 family members Ziona Chana was declared dead at the age of 76 on Tuesday, a senior government official in the northeastern Indian state of Mizoram said.
Doctors at Trinity hospital in Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram, declared Chana dead on Sunday around 3:00 p.m. local time due to complications related to diabetes, hypertension, and old age.
However, when his body was brought to his residence at Chhuanthar Tlangnuam village in adjacent Serchhip district, about 55 km south of Aizwal, his family rebuffed the declaration of doctors and claimed he was "still very much alive."
The family even on Monday insisted that his body was warm and his pulse still beating.
The dichotomy over Chana's death delayed his funeral preparations.
"The family had so much attachment with their patriarch that they were not ready to let him go. Today morning they have finally come in terms with the reality and have announced his death," Lalmuansanga Ralte, additional deputy commissioner Serchhip, told Xinhua over the telephone.
According to Ralte, the consultations within the family were underway over Chana's funeral schedule.
It is reported that Chana lived in a sprawling four-storey home with 39 wives, over 90 children, and at least 33 grandchildren. He headed a religious sect that allows polygamy for men.
It's difficult to say if Chana was indeed the head of the world's largest family since there are others who claim the title.
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