Woman Aged 55 Gives Birth to 17th Child in Rajasthan

At an age when most women are busy doting over their grandchildren, a 55-year-old woman from Rajasthan's Udaipur district found herself cradling her 17th newborn.

The delivery at the Community Health Centre in Jhadol block has set the otherwise quiet Lilavas village abuzz. Relatives, neighbours and curious villagers thronged the hospital to catch a glimpse of Rekha, many amused at the sight of grandchildren welcoming their infant uncle.

Rekha, married to a scrap dealer, Kavara Ram Kalbelia, has



given birth 17 times over the past decades. Of these, five children -- four boys and a girl -- died shortly after birth. The couple is left with 12 surviving children: seven sons and five daughters. 

Life in the Kalbelia household straddles three generations under one roof. "Two of my sons and three of my daughters are married. Each of them has two or three children," Kavara said, his voice carrying both pride and weariness. This means that while Rekha tends to her newborn, she is already a grandmother to several toddlers.