Vishu/വിഷു

Wish you happy Vishu.  Hope you all have seen kani at early morning itself.  Same I too had a wonderful kani in the morning.  So I am very fresh.  Ok, then what is vishu kani?  Every year in the month of April (middle of the month) we celebrate the festival vishu. The word vishu (വിഷു)  is in Malayalam, same way in Tamil Nadu people used to celebrate this same day as Tamil Puthandu (Tamil: தமிழ் புத்தாண்டு, Tamil New year).  But the way of celebration is same.  Other states of India have been celebrating this day as different names and ways.  Do you know how do the people celebrate this day?  We know that in the spring season we get everything fresh as vegetables, fruits, flowers and so and so. We wish to get all these wealth throughout the year.  So to have a good start of a year we celebrate this vishu.

One day before at night, people arrange different kinds of vegetables and fruits (mostly all kinds), flowers especially Kanikonna (Golden Shower Tree, Malayalam: കണിക്കൊന്ന), different kinds of grains, gold ornaments, coins and lit a lamp in front the idol of lord Krishna and also keep a mirror along with this. 

Kanikonna (Golden Shower Tree, Malayalam: കണിക്കൊന്ന)

 On the day of vishu the main event is kanikaanal, which means the first sight in a day.  Then the elder family members give coins to their younger family members as kaineettam (first earning of a year).  That will be the great treat to our eyes and soul.

Same way in the temples also vishukani and kaineettam is quiet common; especially in Guruvayoor and Sabarimala in Kerala.

The following Malayalam poem is about vishu by Mrs. Sangeetha
വിഷുവിനെ കുറിച്ചുള്ള ഈ മലയാളം കവിത രചിച്ചത് ശ്രീമതി സംഗീത

കണികൊന്ന പൂ വിരിഞ്ഞു
കണികാണാന്‍ നേരം പുലര്‍ന്നു
കണികാണാന്‍ പോരു പൂമ്പാറ്റേ.... വിഷു
കണികാണാന്‍ പോരു പൂമ്പാറ്റേ

അത്തിമരത്തില്‍ ചാഞ്ചാടും
തത്തകിളിയെ കേട്ടോ നീ
കൂട്ടിനു കൂടാന്‍ കുയിലുണ്ടല്ലോ
പാട്ടുകള്‍ പാടാന്‍ പോരു നീ... വിഷു
പാട്ടുകള്‍ പാടാന്‍ പോരു നീ

പാടത്ത് തുള്ളിക്കളികുന്ന പച്ചകുതിരെ
നാടെങ്ങും ഉത്സവമാണെന്ന് അറിഞ്ഞില്ലേ
നാണത്താല്‍ പുഞ്ഞിരിതൂവും നെല്ലിന്‍കതിരെ
കണികാണാന്‍ എന്നോടൊപ്പം കൂടുന്നില്ലേ

പിണക്കമാണോ പുള്ളിപ്പശുവേ
തുണയ്ക്കു ഞാനില്ലേ... വിഷു
കിരണകൈകള്‍ കോര്‍ത്ത്‌ നാമും
കണികാണാനായ്‌ പോരാമോ... വിഷു
കണികാണാനായ്‌ പോരാമോ

കാണാമോ കണി കാണാമോ
കാണാ കാഴ്ചകള്‍ കാണാമോ
നാടും വീടും നന്മ നിറയ്ക്കും
കാഴ്ചകള്‍ കണ്ടു രസിക്കാമോ 

This is our vishu celebration...

idol of lord krishna

mayilpeeli

manjadi muthu

vetta and pakku

fruits

vegetables

paal payasam (milk payasam)




kaineettam

24 comments:

padmaja said...

Just now our building malayalee watchman came to my door with lots of flowers grown by him and wished me a happy vishu! Very nice to know the details of your celebration..beautiful pictures too..

Teamgsquare said...

Happy vishu . Nice pictures .

Jeevan said...

Nice pictures from your celebration and custom of learning! You must have translated your wife's poem for us to understand, but i hope it's beautiful as usual :)

Happy Vishu.

Anu said...

Very well decorated...Happy Vishu to you and your family. Pal Pradhaman is mouth watery! Hope you had a grand lunch too :)

George said...

Thank you for explaining and sharing this festival with us. I hope you had a very happy vishu.

joshi daniel said...

nice :)

Kalyan said...

lovely snaps from this lovely festival!

Bob Bushell said...

Beautiful festival, I love it.

magiceye said...

interesting post
thank you for sharing

eden said...

My first time to hear about this festival. Beautiful photos. Thanks for sharing.

TexWisGirl said...

blessings to you and yours! the fruits and vegetables look wonderful, and coins, i'm certain, are a welcome gift. :)

CameraCruise said...

Beautiful shots from your lovely festival.
Thanks for sharing.

Ramakrishnan said...

Nice write up and beautiful pictures depicting the significance of Vishu. These days youngsters expectation of Vishukaineetam is Rs.100 to Rs.1000 :) Happy Vishu to you even though the wishes are belated ! Could not read the poem in Malayalam ! I am sure it has wonderful meaning.

R. Ramesh said...

hare krsna fan...love this post:)

Nisha said...

wow very lovely pics, specially those yellow flowers..its too good.

Kusum said...

Happy Vishu. That Pal Payasam looks yummy :)

Arti said...

Very serene post, full of divinity! SO lovely! Happy Vishu to you and your family :)

sm said...

happy vishnu
nice pics

Indrani said...

Happy Vishu to you and all your loved ones!

P.N. Subramanian said...

I missed this post. It was a real kani fir me. Here I was remorseful for there were no ladies at home and I had to arrange everything for the first time in my life. Thank you.

Joseph Pulikotil said...

Wonderful and comprehensive explanation of Vishu along with wonderful photos to explain in detail how Vishu is celebrated.

I enjoyed it.

Best wishes,
Joseph

Rajesh said...

Wish you happy Vishu.
Wonderful shots from festival.

Carver said...

Beautiful shots and interesting post.

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