18 September 2026 · Blog
Sama-Chakeva, Chaurchan, Kojagara: festivals only Mithila keeps
Mithila — the land between the Kosi, Gandak and Ganga, centred on Darbhanga and Madhubani — follows the same panchang as the rest of north India but keeps festivals that are hard to find elsewhere.
Chaurchan (Chauth Chandra)
On Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi, when the rest of India keeps Ganesh Chaturthi, Maithil households worship the moon. The courtyard is decorated with aripan (rice-paste floor art), and as the moon rises the family lifts bowls of curd, fruit and pakwan towards it. The story says the moon was cursed for mocking Ganesha, and worshipping it on this day removes false blame.
Kojagara
On Sharad Purnima the night is kept awake — ko jagarti?, "who is awake?", asks Lakshmi. For a newly married groom it is a big day: the bride's family sends makhana, paan, sweets and new clothes, and the groom is weighed or blessed with dhaan and doob. Makhana from Darbhanga, now GI-tagged, is the star.
Sama-Chakeva
From the night after Chhath to Kartik Purnima, sisters model small clay birds — Sama, Chakeva, Chugla the gossip, and others — and sing in groups each evening. Chugla's moustache is burnt in fun. On the last night the birds are "sent off" in the fields, and brothers break the clay figures and give gifts. It celebrates the brother-sister bond and the return of migratory birds to the wetlands.
See the festival list for each year's computed dates.