Dear Friends,
Wish you all a very prosperous VISHU !!
Let us look into what is Vishu.
In Kerala Vishu is celebrated on the first day of the Malayalam month, Medam. This generally coincides with 14th of April (Occasionally it falls on 15th April; this year it is on 15th). The Malayalam year (known also as Kollavarsham) originally was to begin on 1st of month Medam, though later, due to practical reasons, was changed to 1st of month Chingam. Thus Vishu happens to be the beginning of the year. Thus in olden days it was celebrated in Kerala by most of the people as the New year day.
The celebration include mainly 'Kani kanal' (an auspicious sight seeing) and feast. Most of the auspicious things will be collected and placed in a particular place, so that everybody see the same in the morning when awakened. It will include Konna flowers, ripe cucumber, jack fruit, mango, rice, water, mirror (valkannadi -mirror made of bell metal), gold ornaments, coins, oil lamp, newly washed cloth and pictures or small statues of Gods.
The assumption is that if the first day of the year starts with seeing these prosperous things, the whole year will bring in prosperity. Every member of the family will be taken blind folded to open their eyes in front of these Kani. As soon as this procedure is over the eldest member of the family will distribute 'vishu kaineettam' (a token amount as a present) to every member and also to servants, if any. Small scale fireworks will also be there with the initiative of children. A moderate feast will be there for the lunch.
The year's agricultural activities also will be inaugurated on vishu day. Based on the vishu day and time predictions were made about the year's rain fall, agriculture production, other well beings, etc.. Persons belonging to particular communities used to distribute these predictions in written forms (in olden days it was written on palm leaves).
T.M.Sankaran
Gold Member, SPK
