Kerala celebrates the summer harvest festival Vishu with traditional fervour.People woke up to see the Vishu Kani looking at the auspicious articles such as rice, gold and the glowing seasonal flower ‘konna’ and fruits and vegetables.Children all over Kerala enjoyed the festival by bursting crackers and received cash gifts from their elder family members better known as ‘Vishu Kaineettam’.
WATCH VIDEO
The highlight of the festival is always a sumptuous feast with several dishes mostly made of seasonal vegetables and fruits such as cucumber, plantine, mango and jackfruit topped with the local dessert ‘payasam’.The most important event in Vishu is the Vishukkani, which literally means The first thing to be seen on the Vishu day post waking up". The Vishukkani consist of a ritual arrangement of auspicious articles like raw rice, fresh lemon, golden cucumber, betel leaves, areca nut, metal mirror, the yellow flowers konna (Cassia fistula), and a holy text and coins, in a bell metal vessel called uruli in the puja room of the House. A lighted bell metal lamp called nilavilakku is also placed alongside.
This arrangement is completed the previous night. On the day of Vishu, the custom is to wake up at dawn and go to the puja room with the eyes closed so that the Vishukkani is the first sight of the new season. Since the occasion marks the beginning of Malayalam New Year[citation needed], it is also considered auspicious to read verses from the Hindu Holy book Ramayanam after seeing the "Vishukkani". It is also believed that the page of the Ramayanam to which you open up will have a bearing on your life in the coming year. Devotees also throng the well-known temples like Sabarimala Ayyappan Temple, Guruvayur Sree Krishna temple to have a "Vishukkani Kazhcha" on the early hours of "Vishu" day.
