Vishu is one of the few Malayalee festivals that is celebrated based on the Solar Calendar. It falls on the first day of the month of Medam (April 14th). The day marks the Sun’s arrival in the zodiac of Mesha and signals the start of the New Year. There are 60 years in the Hindu cyclic calendar, with the first being Prabhava. The Hindu year that would be born on the 14th of April this year is Sarvadhari. The highlight of Vishu celebrations is the Vishukani. As I prepare for this year’s Vishu, my mind winds back to the Vishu celebrations from my childhood.
Though we lived several hundred miles away from our native land, Amma always made sure that we followed all our festivals in their true spirit. Traditionally, the Vishukani is arranged in an Uruli on the previous night. The uruli is a shallow circular vessel made out of bell metal. Since it’s a very fragile metal, it was used only sparingly for special occasions like these. On the night before Vishu, Amma would bring down the Uruli from the attic, give it a scrupulous scrubbing and make it shine like new. The place selected for the kani would also be cleaned and made ready with kolam (rangoli).
The arrangement used to be an elaborate affair that would take an hour or so. She would place Lord Guruvayurappan’s photo first on a wooden platform. In front of the photo, a mirror would be placed. She would decorate the photo and the mirror with flowers. The uruli would then be placed in front of the mirror. She would fill the base with paccharisi (raw rice), followed by a white silk cloth, usually Appa’s angavastram. The kani items would then follow one by one: yellow cucumber, golden ripe bananas, ripe mangoes, jackfruit, fruits, vazhappoo (banana flower), pudavalangai (snake gourd), halved coconuts, pumpkin and konnappoo (cassia fistula). The halved coconuts would be filled with gold ornaments and coins. Crisp rupee notes were kept in a separate plate. All of this would be covered by another silk cloth and left overnight. Lastly, she would place a nilavilakku (bell metal lamp), complete with oil and wick and a ready matchbox.
That night Amma would sleep near the kani. She would be the first one to be up before the crack of dawn. With closed eyes, she would light the lamp. She would then prayerfully open her eyes and take in the beauty of the Lord. Appa would be the next one to awake. After their respective kanikanals, it would be the kids’ turn for the kanikanal. His hands firmly over our eyes to prevent any mischievous peeking, Appa would lead us kids one by one to the kani. Two drops of water to rub our eyes with and we would be asked to open our eyes to behold the beauty and grace of the auspicious arrangement. Being the first day of the New Year, it’s only appropriate that we look at auspicious things first when we woke up.
The next big ritual was the Vishu Kaineettam given by Appa and Amma. Getting a rupee note and a few coins gave us so much joy that we eagerly looked forward to with anticipation. The kaineettam was our own money, to be spent on anything we wanted! Even during difficult times, Appa and Amma made sure they gave us generous kaineettams. The next few days after Vishu would see us cousins counting our moneys and seeing who got the most.
I remember a Vishu that I spent at my paternal grandfather’s home in Kerala when I was little. So instead of Appa and Amma, it was ammoommai who showed us the Vishukani that year. The house was full with all the cousins. After the kani, we cousins pooled our money and bought firecrackers. While the rest of the country bursts firecrackers for Diwali, Kerala has firecrackers during Vishu.
Talking of konnappoo, it was a rarity in our city and difficult to procure. Only a few shops would have them. There have been a few years when we had to miss the konnappoo because it wasn’t available. Mercifully, Vishu day used to be holiday for offices and schools, so we could really celebrate the day. Unlike Onam, there is no elaborate feast for Vishu, but Amma used to prepare a mini-feast anyway.
Now living thousands of miles away from motherland, we continue to celebrate Vishu.
I prepare the Vishukani the previous night; complete with the mirror, gold, fruits and Lord Guruvayurappan’s photo. I don’t get all the ingredients for the kani and make do with whatever I can get. Instead of konnappoo, I have chrysanthemums. Some years, I have been lucky to get vazhappoo (banana flower) The jackfruit is one fruit I miss.
I, as the eldest lady (!) of the house, wake up before the crack of dawn just like amma used to. I behold the graceful beauty of the Lord before waking up husband and daughter. Daughter gets her kaineettam, but in dollar bills. Since most of the time it would be a working day, we rush to the school and office afterward. We have a watered down feast at dinnertime. But most importantly, we have seen the kani. And having seen the Kani, we look forward to a year filled with prosperity and happiness.
The fervour might have diminished due to time and space constraints, but the spirit continues.
(Picture is from the Internet at http://www.zonkerala.com. Copyrights acknowledged)
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Glossary:
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Vishu
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Festival of Kerala
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Vishukani
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Arrangement of auspicious things seen on the daybreak of Vishu
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Kaineettam
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Cash gift given by elders to children on Vishu
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Ammoommai
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Grandmother
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Medam
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April – May (Malayalam month)
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Lord Guruvayurappan
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Lord Vishnu
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WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS VISHU.
Featured by Sulekha
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Hi M Queen, Happy Vishu again!! Your blog takes me straight to my in-laws house who are from Palghat, they fill the coconut halves with rice and dal. Rupee notes of all denominations and different countries are displayed seperately!! Enjoyed your blog, wish you and your family a very happy and prosperous Vishu!
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Happy Vishu Melody!! Can't wait for SUNDAY!!!
Cheers
Meera
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Dear Mr. Anilan Nair
. I think it's your first time here.
Welcome to my blogs
<Sun also happens to be the source of "light", piercing splendour of intellect, glory of the soul, vigour of the life and vital force in food. In ultimate words, the only form of god, we shall see with our eyes...> You couldn't have said it better.
Thanks for adding so much value to my simple blog.
Wish you and your family a Very Happy Vishu.
Regards
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Dear Subbu Sir
Thanks for the lovely comment.
We have been fortunate to be able to keep in touch with our roots despite the distance.
You are right about mukkani - maa, palaa, vazhai.
The kaineettam and kani are priceless.
And Vishu heralds a season of peace and prosperity.
Wish you and family a Very Happy Thamizh Varsha Pirappu.
Regards
MQ
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Hi Sue
I felt nostalgic even while writing the blog :-)
I guess traditions vary from family to family. Lighting the lamp with eyes closed - probably my mom's mother and grandmother did that way and she caught on. I think it is perfectly alright for you to see the kani and then light the lamp. As long as kani is the first thing you see...
We (husband and me) try to impart whatever we know to our daughter. Like you say, it is easier to catch their attention when young. On other days, daughter would grumble if I try to wake her up early, would take a lot of cajoling. But on Vishu Day, she wakes up at the first call. Don't know how long it will last hehe.
Thanks for the lively comment, Sue.
Wish you and your family a Very Happy Vishu.
Mel
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Hiya Wiskyd
I love all festivals. For all family feasts and celebrations, the Rangoli dept is exclusively mine. No, daughter hasn't been around for the festivals, but she had the chance to see my sister's wedding last year. I must take her once during Diwali. I'm sure she would enjoy the fun.
<With closed eyes, she would light the lamp> How did my mother manage that? It comes with practice LOL. Think of lighting a candle during a power outage, something like that hehe. I'm more careful here with the carpet and wood, can't afford to take risks.
Thanks for the wishes.
Wish you and your loved ones a Very Happy Thamizh New Year.
Mel
PS: I meant the moneys in plural
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Hi Sunanda
<Renewal of our identities and roots> You said it right, Sunanda. More so for me, staying away from India so far.
Thanks for the Vishu Wishes.
WISH YOU AND FAMILY A VERY HAPPY VISHU AND NEW YEAR.
Regards,
Melody
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Hi Meera
Thanks for the appreciation and the Vishu wishes.
Happy Thamizh Varsha Pirappu to you and your loved ones.
Regards,
Melody
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Hello Mel,
Thank you for the fair and splendid details of astrological significance of Vishu.
As your rightly said, Sun entering Mesha, which is the Lagna/Birth sign of Kala Purusha, the personification of phenomenon called "time",which we are realising due to movement of sun (or relative moment of earth), its resultant effect of "Desam"..four sides and division of space...Varna..colours caused by sun light...Rasas..the secretions or juices formed in plants (and animals feeding them) due to climatic seasons ( Rithu's) and variations in sun's fervour.
It is understood that sun is responisble for the diversity of life
and cyclic nature of earthly processes.
Above all...Sun is exalted in Aries, the sign in which time itself was born..consciousness was spawned....and Sun also happens to be the source of "light", piercing splendour of intellect, glory of the soul, vigour of the life and vital force in food.
In ultimate words, the only form of god, we shall see with our eyes...
Wishing every one, a happy new year..
Anilan
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Millions of thanks to our dear MQ for reviving the old memoirs to our rituals and festivals.
It's true that we Indians celebrate all festivals with its due importance and Vishu or VarushaPirappu in a big way.
The importance to Mukanni MAA, PALA, BANANA's are nostaliga and some time to get pala we have to search the sources.
Of course other fruits and flowers adds the flora to festive moods.
Kunnappoo as well as Veppampoo brings in more health and that;s why our elders make pacchadi out of it and it's a delight to taste.
Vishukannikkai or kaineetu in which the fresh notes and coins given by our elders is such a priceless possession for us.
As the eldest of the family we see that every one recieves it from our hands and such collections are stored in our treasures and never spent.
Getting up in the early morning & straight away reaching the puja room to have the dharshan of Vishukani & Lord Guruvayurappa as well as seeing ourselves in the mirror decorated with currency notes and jewels cannot be forgotten...
Those trays filled with raw rice, gold, silver, coins, notes, flowers, fruits, holy texts of sacred prayers in which we set our sights brings in many wonderful results for the year to follow.
Vishu is the festival of happiness and prosperity.
Let us wish all our citizens of this universe a very happy Vishu & let their life be with more joy & proseperous.
Subbu
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