Vishu is one of the two major Festival celebrating in Kerala. Other major festival is Onam, which is considered as the state festival of Kerala. Malayalees consider Vishu as the New Year (astrological New Year) in Kerala. Since the vishu is the starting of the next year people believe the start of the day has significant important for the next twelve months. Accordingly, Malayalam newspapers will publish vishu predictions and astrological prediction for next 12 months.
As per Hindu astrology Vishu is the day when sun enters into medam rasi and consider it as a solar new year (on April 14 or 15th). If you see Malayalam calendar the New Year starts from chingam (Middle of August), however people never gives any important to that day. It is considering as just a new month day.
As Hindus believe in Kani (Seeing the good things at the start of the day), malayalees consider seeing good things as the first thing in vishu will bring luck and prosperity for the next year. This is known as vishu kani
Vishu Kani
Vishu kani is the most important thing of Vishu. Kani means the first sight. Therefore, people consider the first thing you see on a day will decide your day. The same way the first thing you see on New Year will decide the luck and prosperity for your coming new year. So seeing auspicious things on vishu morning as the first sight of the day is known as vishu kani
For this the day before vishu, people make special preparation to see vishu kani on the morning of vishu. It consists of Gods Picture, Gold, money, flowers, fruits, rice, new cloth, and Hindu lamp etc.
How to prepare vishu kani
Prepare a clean plate, which is normally using for Poona. You can use Uruli also which is a plate like thing made out of bronze. Arrange your favorite god photo in that. Normally people keep lord Krishna’s Picture or Krishna statue for this purpose. Lord Krishna has a significant place in vishu kani than other gods. So even other god’s devotees keep Krishna statue on vishu kani.
Another main importance thing is Konna Poove (Indian Laburnum) which is freely available on vishu season all over Kerala. People believe that on olden day’s konna never use to flower, as konna was a normal tree without flower. Once upon a time unnikannan (little Krishna) liked one poor Brahmin boy and he started playing with him afternoon in front of a Krishna temple after the priest has gone home at afternoon. The Brahmin boy used to come every day afternoon to play with Krishna not knowingly that the boy is Lord Krishna himself. One day little Krishna handed his one padswaram (bracelet on leg) to this Brahmin boy. That day evening when priest returned to temple he was frightened since one of the golden padaswaram was missing from Krishna’s statue. He informed all people and eventually people found padaswaram with this Brahmin boy who was playing with it.
People accused him of stealing padaswaram from temple. Even after telling that one boy has given him the padaswaram people never believed him since nobody has ever seen or known a boy according to Brahmin boy’s description. Unable to withstand the humiliation he has thrown the bracelet to the nearby tree (konna tree) by crying. Once the bracelet has fallen on the tree, the bracelet has transformed as flowers, which resembles as the bracelet. Then only people understood that the mysterious boy was none other than lord Krishna. The begged forgiveness from the lord Krishna as well as from the Brahmin boy who was lucky to see Krishna. That day onwards konna started flowering and people consider the flower as auspicious and very dear to Krishna.
Other thing on vishu kani is rice (for prosperity), Gold, Money (coins and notes), new cloth, fruits, flowers, Sandalwood, mirror etc. They will arrange One Nilavilaku (Lamp used in pooja) for next morning.
The most responsible woman in the house will arrange the vishu kani. Next day morning she will get up first in the morning and will go directly to the vishu kani room. She will ignite the lamp and see the picture of Lord Krishna and the auspicious things, as her vishu kani.
Next, she will go to the seiner member of the house and will awake him by closing his eyes with her hands. Then she will guide him to the room where vishu kani is prepared. Then only she will remove her hand from his eyes. This will make him to see the auspicious things as the first thing on the morning.
This will be repeated with every members of the house including kids. All the kids will get vishu kaineettam (one dollar or some money) after the vishu kani from elderly persons of the house.
Vishu greetings
Along with vishu, people will send vishu greetings to their friends and relatives. Now a day’s famous online greeting cards websites also have lot of vishu greetings in their collection. You can find some good vishu greetings at 365greetings.com
