Chandra
The Moon God
The cool, gentle moon riding his silver chariot across the night sky. In many tellings he rose from the churning of the cosmic ocean.
- Sanskrit/Telugu name: చంద్రుడు
- Also known as: Soma, Indu, Shashi
- Vehicle (vahana): Chariot drawn by white antelopes
- Symbols: Crescent moon, Night lotus
Story
Chandra is the moon himself, glowing soft and silver, so handsome that poets never stop describing him. In many tellings he emerged from the Ksheera Sagaram - the ocean of milk - when the devas and asuras churned it for the nectar of immortality, rising from the waves like a pearl. He married the 27 daughters of Daksha, who became the 27 nakshatras (star constellations) that the moon visits one each night - that's the star chart Telugu families still check for birthdays and muhurtams! But Chandra loved one wife, Rohini, more than the rest, and the hurt sisters complained to their father. Daksha's curse made Chandra fade away night by night; a blessing from Shiva let him grow back - and that, the puranas say, is why the moon waxes and wanes. Shiva even wears the crescent Chandra in his hair, which is why he's called Chandrashekhara. Oh, and one more thing: Chandra once laughed at Ganesha for falling off his mouse, which is why looking at the moon on Vinayaka Chavithi is said to bring trouble!
Fun fact
The reason your elders say not to look at the moon on Vinayaka Chavithi is Chandra's own fault - he giggled at Ganesha, and got cursed for it.