Chaurchan
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Chaurchan is a festival for married women in the Mithila region of the Indian subcontinent. It is also known as Chorchanna/Chakchanna Parab, Chauth Chand or Chauth Chandra or Chorchan Puja. It is dedicated to Ganesha and the moon god Chandra Deva. During the festival, married women fast, and different types of dishes are prepared as prasad. The Ganesh Chaturthi fast is also observed on this day. Along with Ganesha, Vishnu, Parvati, and the moon god are worshipped. The story of Chorchan Puja is also heard on this day after that Arghya is offered to Chandra Deva.[1][2]
During the Chaurchan Puja, the fasting is observed for the whole day. Married women in Mithila clean the courtyard of their houses by smearing it with cow dung. Religious pictures are drawn where the puja will be performed with Pithar made of raw rice and some vermilion are placed on them. Various types of dishes, kheer, sweets, fruits, and curd are served on large banana leaves in the courtyard. In the evening, fasting women turn towards the west and offer Arghya to the moon by keeping the bowl of sweets, dishes, curd, banana, fruits etc, in their hand while chanting mantras.
The following mantras are chanted while offering Arghya which are as follows
सिंहः प्रसेनमवधिस्सिंहो जाम्बवता हतः
सुकुमार मन्दिस्तव ह्येष स्यामन्तकः स्त'[3]
