Chandra

Also known as Soma, Chandra is the god of the moon, associated with the night, tranquility and aggriculture as a fertility god. His name means Shining or Moon, representing the calmness and tranquility of the night but also mental and emotional tranquility, the soothing power of the moon, nurturing light, celestial guidance, timekeeping and fertility. Meanwhile as Soma, he is a god of the sacred drink by the same name which is associated with the moon and ritually offered to the gods. Other names include Rajanipati the Lord of the Night, Kshuparaka the Illuminator of the Night and Indu the Drop of Nectar. Chandra is a Dikpala, the guardians of directions, and there was once a lunar dynasty, Chandravamsa, which descended from him directly.

According to legend, Chandra either emerged from Samudra Manthana or is one of the Adityas, a son of Kashyapaand Aditi! He is a god with many wives, 28 in total, which each represent the stars and constellations which pass around the moon. These wives are collectively called the Nakshastras, all daughters of Daksha. Despite promising not to favor any of his wives over the other, he showed favor to Rohini in the end. This earned him a curse from Daksha, causing him to wax and wane each month. Otherwise, Chandra appears alongside other Navagrahas, planetary deities, and is believed to adorn the hair of Shiva. He is also the father of Buddha, the planet Mercury, born from his union with Tara, the wife of Brihaspati. Chandra believed she would be happier with him, questioning how such an old sage could make a young woman like her happy, and the Devas nearly warred over him returning her!

The largest festival dedicated to Chandra is Karva Chauth wherin married women seek out longevity and well-being for their husbands, fasting from sunrise until they see the moon. Sharad Prunima is another festival honoring Chandra, celebrating the full moon during the Sanatanis month Ashwin which indicates the end of monsoon season! Both are host to all manner of rituals, performances, singing and feasts. Smaller rituals involve offering Chandra white flowers, rice and milk which represent purity and nourishment. Followers might fast on mondays or recite the Chandra Gayatri mantra, hoping he will bless them with mental wellbeing and emotional stability. There are also many temples dedicated to Chandra, mostly in Bharatavarsa and Nihon Retto but also present in the Frozen Wastes.

Chandra is depicted and young, handsome man with two arms and a fair complexion. He either rides a chariot pulled by ten white horses or rides his vahana, an antelope. He carries both a lotus flower and a club which represents his simultaneous purity and power. Sometimes he is drawn with a crescent moon on his forehead to signify both his celestial nature and the moon's cycles of change and nenewal.