Chandra was the original Indian God of the Moon who was later merged with the Hindu God Soma. Chandra drove the moon chariot across the sky with ten white horses. He was also considered a fertility god, since the dew which falls on the plants overnight and gives them life was seen as coming from the moon. Hence, Chandra was also prayed to when a couple wanted to have a child.

Chandra is said to have been created out of the cosmic ocean of milk, which when it was stirred up by the gods and demons during a battle, Chandra floated to the surface and kept on rising. The other gods decided that Chandra should find a place amongst the sky instead of dwelling in the realm of the other deities.

Chandra is believed to be the father of the planet Mercury, and in Hinduism is considered to be a male god. In the West, it is interesting to note that the name Chandra is usually given to girls. (Either way, we still think Chandra is a beautiful name.)