Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Tags : events, festivals, life style, vishu
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Vishu is a festival celebrated in the state of Kerala in South India. The same day is also celebrated as New Year in several other parts of India such as Punjab (Baisakhi), Assam (Bihu), and Tulu Nadu region in Karnataka where it is known as Bisu as well as in Tamil Nadu. The festival marks the first day of Malayalam Year and falls in the month of Medam. Vishu generally falls on April 14th of the Gregorian calendar. But this time Vishu is on 15th April.
The most important event in Vishu is the Vishukkani, which literally " the first to be seen on the Vishu day". The Vishukkani consist of a ritual arrangement of auspicious articles like raw rice, fresh linen, golden cucumber, betel leaves, arecanut, metal mirror, the yellow flowers konna, 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, it is also considered auspicious to read verses from 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.
Vishukani is an indispensable part of Vishu and the kani items will be normally comprised of:
1. Kanikonna, a yellow colour flower.
2. Fruits and vegetables like a bunch of tender mango with its leaves, coconut, Cashew and nut with its small branch and leaves, tender jackfruits commonly called idichakka, raw pineapple, golden coloured cucumber, bananas and other fresh vegetables according to its availability.
3. Yellow colour Kodi mundu, betel leaves, betel nut, kumkum or sindhoor in a small container, Bhagavad Gita, a small mirror with a tail (preferably Aranmula kannadi).
4. Elders gift firecrackers to children and every child. People wear new clothes (Puthukodi) for the occasion and elders of the family distribute tokens of money, called Vishukkaineetam, to children, servants and tenants.
Vishu is also a day of feasting, wherein the edibles consist of roughly equal proportions of salty, sweet, sour and bitter items (aviyal, sambar, thoran, pulissery, olan, etc.). Feast items include Veppampoorasam (a bitter preparation of neem) and Mampazhapachadi (a sour mango soup).
I on behalf of Most Viral Media wishes you a happy and prosperous Vishu, Baisakhi, Bihu and Bisu. Enjoy have a blast and be safe.
The most important event in Vishu is the Vishukkani, which literally " the first to be seen on the Vishu day". The Vishukkani consist of a ritual arrangement of auspicious articles like raw rice, fresh linen, golden cucumber, betel leaves, arecanut, metal mirror, the yellow flowers konna, 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, it is also considered auspicious to read verses from 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.
Vishukani is an indispensable part of Vishu and the kani items will be normally comprised of:
1. Kanikonna, a yellow colour flower.
2. Fruits and vegetables like a bunch of tender mango with its leaves, coconut, Cashew and nut with its small branch and leaves, tender jackfruits commonly called idichakka, raw pineapple, golden coloured cucumber, bananas and other fresh vegetables according to its availability.
3. Yellow colour Kodi mundu, betel leaves, betel nut, kumkum or sindhoor in a small container, Bhagavad Gita, a small mirror with a tail (preferably Aranmula kannadi).
4. Elders gift firecrackers to children and every child. People wear new clothes (Puthukodi) for the occasion and elders of the family distribute tokens of money, called Vishukkaineetam, to children, servants and tenants.
Vishu is also a day of feasting, wherein the edibles consist of roughly equal proportions of salty, sweet, sour and bitter items (aviyal, sambar, thoran, pulissery, olan, etc.). Feast items include Veppampoorasam (a bitter preparation of neem) and Mampazhapachadi (a sour mango soup).
I on behalf of Most Viral Media wishes you a happy and prosperous Vishu, Baisakhi, Bihu and Bisu. Enjoy have a blast and be safe.
This post was written by: Manoj Varghese Mathew
Manoj Varghese Mathew is a Blogger From Kerala, He is a Communication student, Music lover and a Social Media addict. He writes on things that are popular on web! "Google it!" is his favorite quote!
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