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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.
| # | मास | मैथिली | ग्रेगोरियन |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | चैत्र | चैत | Mar–Apr |
| 2 | वैशाख | बैसाख | Apr–May |
| 3 | ज्येष्ठ | जेठ | May–Jun |
| 4 | आषाढ़ | आषाढ़ | Jun–Jul |
| 5 | श्रावण | सावन | Jul–Aug |
| 6 | भाद्रपद | भादो | Aug–Sep |
| 7 | आश्विन | आश्विन | Sep–Oct |
| 8 | कार्तिक | कातिक | Oct–Nov |
| 9 | मार्गशीर्ष | अगहन | Nov–Dec |
| 10 | पौष | पूस | Dec–Jan |
| 11 | माघ | माघ | Jan–Feb |
| 12 | फाल्गुन | 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.
रामनवमी (मिथिला सीता की भूमि — विशेष महत्व), चैती छठ (वसन्त छठ पूजा)
अक्षय तृतीया (कृषि वर्ष आरम्भ), सीता नवमी (मिथिला में विशेष सीता पूजा)
बटसावित्री (ज्येष्ठ पूर्णिमा — सुहागिनें बरगद के नीचे पति की दीर्घायु के लिए व्रत)
रथ यात्रा, गुरु पूर्णिमा, चातुर्मास आरम्भ
मधुश्रावणी (नवविवाहिताओं का मास-भर अनुष्ठान), नाग पंचमी, रक्षा बंधन, कजरी तीज
जन्माष्टमी (दही हांडी), हरतालिका तीज (सुहागिनों का व्रत), गणेश चतुर्थी, विश्वकर्मा पूजा
जितिया/जीवित्पुत्रिका (माताओं का 3 दिन निर्जला व्रत — सबसे कठोर व्रत), नवरात्रि, दशहरा, कोजागरा पूर्णिमा
छठ पूजा (कार्तिक शुक्ल षष्ठी — मिथिला का परिभाषित पर्व), दीवाली, सामा-चकेवा (भाई-बहन का अनूठा मिट्टी पक्षी पर्व), भाई दूज
विवाह पंचमी (राम-सीता विवाह वर्षगांठ — जनकपुर में भव्य), मोक्षदा एकादशी
मकर संक्रान्ति / तुसू पूजा (तिलकुट और लाई-चूड़ा वितरण), पौष पूर्णिमा
सरस्वती पूजा / वसन्त पंचमी (विद्या की पूजा), माघी पूर्णिमा
महा शिवरात्रि, होली / फगुआ (मैथिली "फाग" गीतों से — अनूठी संगीत परम्परा), होलिका दहन