Father, 90, shows off new baby - and wants more

by Jeremy Page in Delhi

The world's oldest new dad has fathered his 21st child at the age of 90 and he says that he plans to continue breeding for at least another decade.

Nanu Ram Jogi, a farmer in the Indian state of Rajasthan, cannot remember exactly how many children he has produced with his four wives, but estimates that he has twelve sons, nine daughters and at least twenty grandchildren.

"Women love me," he boasted as dozens of relatives came to see his 14-day-old daughter, Girija Rajkumari. "I want to have more children.

I can survive another few decades and want to have children till I am 100. Then maybe it will be time to stop."

Mr Jogi married his first wife, Lalki, in 1942 when he was 25, the world was at war and India was still five years away from gaining independence from Britain. He fathered his eldest daughter, Sita Devi, a year later.

He married his second wife, Punni, when he was 50 and his third marriage, to Rukman, came 20 years later in 1987. He married his current wife, Saburi, in 1997 when he was 80 and India's economic boom was beginning to get under way.

Saburi, who is 50 and has given him seven children, was previously married to his eldest son, Shiv Lal, who died ten years ago.

"At first I didn't want to stay here after my husband died," she said. "It was a bad time and I was going to go back to my family, but Nanu insisted.

He promised to look after me and said he would take care of my family, so I stayed and now we have seven children."

So what is Mr Jogi's secret? "I eat all kinds of meat: rabbits, lamb, chicken and wild animals," he said.

"There is a dense forest around the village.

I go hunting most days and eat whatever I catch. Lots of food is my secret to staying healthy. I will survive another few decades to take care of these kids!"

The world's oldest known father was an Australian called Les Colley, who was 92 when his ninth child was born. He died in 1998, just before his 100th birthday.

Timesonline, UK