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The Mithila calendar is the traditional almanac of the Maithil Brahmin and broader Maithili-speaking communities of Mithilanchal — a cultural region spanning northern Bihar, parts of Jharkhand, and the Terai of Nepal. Unlike the reformed Bengali or Tamil calendars, the Mithila Panchang retains the classical lunisolar system (Purnimant) where months end on the full moon. The calendar governs all religious observances, marriages, Upanayana (sacred thread) ceremonies, and agricultural cycles in the region. Maithili culture, one of the oldest literary traditions in India (the Maithili language has its own script — Tirhuta/Mithilakshara), preserves unique festivals not found elsewhere in India. Over 35 million Maithili speakers use this calendar.
The Mithila calendar follows the Purnimant (full-moon-ending) system, where each month concludes on Purnima. This is the same system used in most of North India, but the Maithili names preserve distinct local pronunciation. The months align with the standard Hindu lunisolar months but carry the cultural weight of Mithila's unique festival cycle. Chaitra marks the beginning of the year, coinciding with Vasant (spring) and the preparation for Ramnavami.
| # | Month | Maithili | Gregorian |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chaitra | चैत | Mar–Apr |
| 2 | Vaishakh | बैसाख | Apr–May |
| 3 | Jyeshtha | जेठ | May–Jun |
| 4 | Ashadh | आषाढ़ | Jun–Jul |
| 5 | Shravan | सावन | Jul–Aug |
| 6 | Bhadra | भादो | Aug–Sep |
| 7 | Ashwin | आश्विन | Sep–Oct |
| 8 | Kartik | कातिक | Oct–Nov |
| 9 | Margashirsha | अगहन | Nov–Dec |
| 10 | Paush | पूस | Dec–Jan |
| 11 | Magh | माघ | Jan–Feb |
| 12 | Phalgun | फागुन | Feb–Mar |
Chhath Puja (Kartik Shukla Shashthi) is the most significant festival of Mithilanchal and the broader Bhojpuri-Maithili belt. Dedicated to Surya (the Sun God) and Chhathi Maiya (Usha, the consort of the Sun), it is one of the few Vedic festivals that survived without Puranic overlay. The 4-day observance — Nahay Khay (day 1: ritual bathing and eating lauki-chana dal), Kharna/Lohanda (day 2: 36-hour nirjala fast begins after eating kheer), Sandhya Arghya (day 3: standing waist-deep in water to offer arghya to the setting sun), and Usha Arghya (day 4: offering to the rising sun, then breaking fast with prasad) — demands extraordinary discipline. Devotees prepare traditional offerings called "thekua" (wheat-jaggery cookies) and "kasar" in "daura" (bamboo baskets). Rivers, ponds, and specially built "chhath ghats" overflow with devotees. The festival is remarkable for being entirely priest-less — the "vrati" (faster) performs all rituals themselves, making it one of the most egalitarian Hindu festivals.
Mithila's calendar is inseparable from Madhubani (Mithila) painting — one of India's most recognized folk art traditions. The calendar marks when walls of homes must be painted anew: Kohbar (bridal chamber) paintings are created for weddings, Aripan (floor paintings similar to Kolam/Rangoli) are drawn for festivals and auspicious occasions, and specific deities are painted for their respective festivals. The art uses natural pigments — turmeric yellow, indigo blue, lamp soot black, rice paste white — and follows an unbroken matrilineal tradition where mothers teach daughters. UNESCO recognized Madhubani art as a GI (Geographical Indication) product. The calendar's festival cycle thus drives an entire artistic tradition that has gained global recognition.
Ramnavami (birth of Lord Rama — special significance in Mithila as Sita's homeland), Chaiti Chhath (spring Chhath Puja — same 4-day ritual as Kartik Chhath)
Akshaya Tritiya (beginning of agricultural year — seed sowing), Sita Navami (Sita's appearance day — uniquely celebrated in Mithila with Sita worship)
Batsavitri/Vat Savitri (Jyeshtha Purnima — married women fast under banyan trees for their husbands' longevity, re-enacting the Savitri-Satyavan legend)
Rath Yatra, Guru Purnima, beginning of Chaturmas (four-month monsoon period of heightened worship)
Madhushravani (month-long observance for newly-married women — daily worship, storytelling, and folk songs), Nag Panchami, Raksha Bandhan, Kajari Teej
Janmashtami (Krishna's birth — Dahi Handi celebrations), Hartalika Teej (women's fast for marital bliss), Ganesh Chaturthi, Vishwakarma Puja
Jitiya/Jivitputrika (Ashwin Krishna Ashtami — mothers' 3-day nirjala fast for children's long life — strictest fast), Navaratri & Durga Puja (Mithila celebrates with Maithili Durga songs), Dussehra, Kojagara Purnima
Chhath Puja (Kartik Shukla Shashthi — THE defining festival of Mithila: 4-day Sun worship), Diwali & Govardhan Puja, Sama-Chakeva (Kartik Purnima–Saptami — unique brother-sister clay bird festival), Bhai Dooj
Vivah Panchami (anniversary of Rama-Sita wedding at Janakpur — immense celebrations in Mithilanchal), Mokshada Ekadashi
Makar Sankranti / Tusu Puja (harvest festival — tilkut and lai-chura distribution), Pausha Purnima
Saraswati Puja / Vasant Panchami (worship of learning — students place books at Saraswati's feet), Maghi Purnima
Maha Shivaratri, Holi / Phaguwa (celebrated with Maithili folk songs called "phag" — unique musical tradition), Holika Dahan