Jai Sriman Narayana !!
I had the opportunity to read an interesting mail regarding the Vishu Celebrations in Kerala by Sri Srinivasan, Palakkad . Hope, you would enjoy reading the same....
The festival of Vishu is celebrated with joy and mirth on the first day of the month Mesha/Medam. This corresponds to the month of April-May according to Gregorian calendar. The occasion holds a lot of significance for Hindus as Vishu marks the Astronomical New Year Day. The traditional people of Kerala practice a lot of colorful rituals and customs on Vishu. Most of these traditions are based on a belief that Vishu must be celebrated well as the good things of the first day of the New Year will repeat for the rest of the year too.
Most important ritual of the day is called 'Kani Kanal'. In Kani Kanal there is a prescribed list of items, which a person must see first thing on a Vishu morning to bring good luck. This include a cadjan leaf book, gold ornaments, fresh white cloth, rice or paddy, flowers of the Konna tree (Cussia fistula), jack fruits, coconuts and yellow cucumber. All these things are kept in a big pot and behind this pot is kept the mirror and an image of Lord Krishna. Earthen lamps (Nilavilakku) are also placed before the deity. Preparations of Kani are done a night before by the lady of the house. Master of the house is the first person to view the Kani and the family members follow. Children are brought blind folded from their beds to see Kani Kanal, the first thing in the morning. Vishu Kani is later distributed amongst the poor and needy people. The reason behind this ritual with a strong belief of the people that the fortune of the rest of the year depends on the first object they see on the Vishu day. There is also a tradition to give money to children of the family called Vishu Kaineetam. People believe that this custom will ensure prosperity for their children in future. A large number of people prefer to see Vishu Kani in temples. A huge rush of devotees can be seen in the temples of Guruvayur, Ambalapuzha and Sabarimala where special prayers are organised to mark the day. People stay overnight in the courtyards of these temples a night before Vishu so that they could see the Kani in the temple. The Devotees approach the Sanctum Sanctorum of the temple with closed eyes, so that they would be able to view the Kani when the doors are open at 2:30 AM.
Celebrations:
Celebrations:
Vishu is the first day in the first Malayalam month of Medam (March – April). The traditional rituals followed in the festival is believed to usher in another year of prosperity for the Keralites. Everyone, make elaborate preparations for this day to ensure that the year ahead will be a fruitful one by following the custom of seeing the Vishukani (auspicious sight) early in the morning. This festival shares the spirit that can be observed in all the festivals of spring – the spirit of hope and expectations that a new dawn brings with it.The people of Kerala celebrate this festival in a traditional manner. They follow the custom of viewing the Vishukani( the lucky sight) in the morning of the festival. The Vishukani is later distributed among the poor people.
The people buy new clothes (kodi vastram) for the occasion and the elders of the family distribute tokens of money to the children, servants and tenants. These tokens are called the Vishukaineetam and are usually in form of coins. People carry on this customs believing that their children would be blessed with prosperity in future.
The families then celebrate the day with joyous abandon by bursting fire crackers after the Vishukani. While the men and the children engage in bursting crackers, the women start cooking a variety of delicacies for the elaborate lunch. The feast or the 'sadya' is prepared by the women of the household and the whole family sits down to enjoy the same. The dishes prepared from the vegetables and fruits that are abundant in the season like jackfruits, mangoes, pumpkins, a variety of gourds and coconut.
Jai Sriman Narayana !!
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