Vishu festival or Malayalam New Year falls on the first of Malayalam
month of Medam (March-April). A number of rituals and customs are
associated with the festival. It's not a pompous festival but more of a
homely affair. People of Kerela like to spend it with their family
members.
Vishu Traditions and Customs
Vishukani or Kani Kanal is the most popular tradition followed
by people of Kerela. As per the popular belief, year's prosperity
depends upon the type of the first object viewed in the morning. There
is a list which tells about various auspicious items to be seen on Vishu
morning. Ladies keep all the prescribed items ready a night before the
Vishu. A Cadian leaf book, gold ornaments, a new white cloth, raw rice,
yellow cucumber, betel leaves, flowers of the Konna tree, halved jack
fruits, holy grantha and coconut are kept in a bell metal vessel called
'uruli'. Behind the vessel is kept a bell metal mirror and a
Lord Krishna deity. Two lighted oil lamp called
Nilavilakku is
also placed alongside. The head of the family is the first person to see
the holy things. Children are brought blindfold. Special care is taken
that family members do not see any other thing except Vishukani. Later,
Vishukani is offered to God and distributed amongst poor. Children and
other young members of the family get a small gift on this day and this
tradition of gift-giving is called
Vishu Kaineetam.
Vishu Celebrations
Once the custom of Vishukani gets over, people take a dip in the holy
water or take bath at their home and visit nearby temples to offer
prayers. To celebrate the festival of
Pooram Vishu, people of
Kerela wear
Kodi Vastram. These are new clothes specially worn
on auspicious occasions. People of Kerela multiply Vishu celebrations by
traditional singing and dancing. They also burst Patassu (firecrackers).
Evening time is for lavish meals. Women prepare
sadya (feast).
These are special dishes prepared using jackfriuts, mangoes, pumpkins
and gourds. To mark Vishu, traditionally people prepare Moru Kutan - a
savoury stew made with yoghurt, Payassam (Kheer), Veppampoorasam (a
bitter preparation of neem) and Mampazhapachadi (a sour mango soup).
Malayalam feast is an equal proportion of all tastes.
Great amount of excitement can also be seen in the villages of Kerela.
Men and women dress up like
Chozhi by wearing a skirt of dried
banana leaves and masks on their faces. They entertain people by various
traditional dances and dramas. These entertainers would move house to
house collecting money to be spent in
Vishuwela which is a New
Year Fair in Kerela. .
