Why Do Women of Mithila Celebrate Chaurchan Under the Moonlight?

Festivals are not only about rituals, they are the heartbeat of a community, carrying wisdom from centuries past. In Mithila, the Chaurchan Festival (also called Charchanna Pabni, Chauth Chand, Chauth Chandra, or Chorchan Puja) is one such occasion. On this day, families cleanse their courtyards, women fast with devotion, and the evening sky becomes the stage for prayers offered to the Moon. But beyond its customs lies a timeless story of pride, curse, forgiveness, and liberation, a story that connects gods to humans, and tradition to everyday life.


As the festival day dawns, Mithila homes come alive with preparation. Women observe a full-day fast, symbolizing discipline and purity of intent. Courtyards are swept and decorated with rice-paste drawings (Aripan), sacred symbols that invite divine energy into the home. By evening, families gather together with offerings of kheer, curd, fruits, and sweets, arranged lovingly on decorated plates. When the moon rises, married women turn westward, lifting brass vessels filled with water, flowers, and rice, offering “Arghya” to Chandra Deva while chanting traditional mantras. This ritual is not just prayer; it is believed to free the family from false accusations and stigma, making Chaurchan deeply emotional and spiritual.


The heart of Chaurchan lies in a powerful myth. Once, Chandra Deva (the Moon god), proud of his beauty, mocked Lord Ganesha’s appearance. Angered, Ganesha cursed him that anyone who looked at the moon on Ganesh Chaturthi would be falsely accused of wrongdoing. This curse became a reality in the story of Lord Krishna, who was accused of stealing the Syamantaka gem simply because he had glanced at the moon on that night. Only after worshipping both Ganesha and Chandra did he gain relief. Chaurchan thus became a “Kalank Mukti Parv” a ritual of washing away false blame, restoring dignity, and humbling arrogance. Every offering to the moon is an act of forgiveness, both given and received.


In Mithila, Chaurchan is not just a household ritual it is a festival of community, culture, and emotional unity. Married women fast not only for their own families but also as a gesture of harmony in society. Local fairs fill the air with joy, and villages come alive with folk songs, Mithila painting competitions, and handcrafted clay moons symbolizing Chandra Deva.
It becomes an identity marker of Mithila, reminding people that festivals are not just about gods, but about keeping bonds of community alive. The courtyards glow with diyas, families eat together after the fast, and the entire atmosphere feels like a collective prayer under one sky.


Chaurchan teaches lessons that go beyond myth.

• Forgiveness: Even gods forgive, just like Ganesha eventually eased the Moon’s curse.
• Truth and Dignity: False accusations can harm deeply, but rituals like Chaurchan remind us that truth ultimately prevails.
• Female Strength: Married women, with their discipline and devotion, are at the heart of this celebration, showing the power of feminine energy in preserving harmony.
• Cosmic Connection: Offering arghya to the moon symbolizes surrender to cosmic truth, aligning human life with divine order.

For Mithila, it’s not just about fasting or rituals it’s about remembering that no stigma is permanent, and every false blame can be washed away with faith and love.


In today’s world, where misunderstandings and false judgments still cause pain, Chaurchan holds a mirror to human life. Just as Lord Krishna faced false blame, people today face unfair criticism and stigma. The act of offering prayers to the moon becomes a symbolic act of healing a reminder that faith can help one rise above negativity. Moreover, by connecting families to their roots, Chaurchan keeps alive the cultural soul of Mithila. In an era of fast-paced life, this moonlit night slows people down, pulling them together in love, devotion, and reflection.

Chaurchan is more than a festival—it is a spiritual dialogue between gods and humans, between pride and forgiveness, between falsehood and truth. In the Mithila region, as women lift their vessels to the moon and families bow together in prayer, the night sky becomes more than just stars and silence it becomes a witness to faith, love, and dignity.
In a world where accusations can hurt, Chaurchan whispers to us: stigma never lasts, truth always shines. Under the moonlit sky of Mithila, every diya tells the same story that forgiveness, harmony, and devotion are the real lights of life.

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