Today is Vishu day!
Vishu is the most important festival for any Keralite. Actually, the most important festival is Onam; I choose Vishu out of convenience, as it is close to Vishnu (though there is no etymological similarity at all)!
Vishu is the first day of the Malayalam New Year, and is incidentally, the New Year in Tamil Nadu and other areas as well. The epicentre of the Vishu festival is the Vishukkani, which is "the first to be seen on the Vishu day". The Vishukkani consists of a pretty aesthetic arrangement of auspicious tokens of material, spiritual and physical well-being, all placed at the feet of youknowho. My Krishna is standing there with his Murali by his side (this was a gift from the Udupi Krishna temple).
Traditionally, the Vishukkani is prepared by the lady of the house. In our house, it has always been my Mother, who wakes up at around 2.30 AM every Vishu, so that we are assured of Kani Darshan during Bramhamuhurtam, the inconvenient, but essential time zone for all things spiritual and auspicious. The yellow flowers are the Kanni Konna,- supposed to be a very common flower in Kerala, though I have never seen it myself. Either I have never seen it, or I have not recognized it, and in all likelihood, it's the latter.
As always, the most important festivity of any festival seems to be the (physical) food and the new (outer) clothing. I am guessing the original import should have related to turning over a new leaf on the New Year, but, as with most traditions now, the ritual has taken over the reasoning. That apart, the ladies still look gorgeous in their gold embroidered (kasavu) sarees.
All said and done, this is Vishu. Think for the best. Do for the best. Hope for the best. Pray for the best!
Happy Vishu to all of you!
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