Happy Vishu

The festival of Vishu is celebrated on the first day of the Malayalam month "Medam" which marks the beginning of a new year.

On Vishu eve, the lady of the house with all the care decorates and arranges the things in the pooja room for the Kani. Kani items include golden lamps, fresh linen (kasavu), a measure of rice or paddy, gold ornaments, silver, money, coconuts, jack fruit, mangoes, yellow cucumbers, flowers of the Konna tree (Cussia fistula), mirror and a garlanded deity of Lord Krishna. The dominance of yellow and gold in the kani signifies prosperity.

At early dawn, the eldest member of the family lights all the lamps and takes each of the family members blindfolded to the pooja room to see the auspicious "Vishukani" which literally means the first sight. Vishukani is a splendid treats to your eyes and mind, a tradition that is kept with a belief that seeing good things will bring happiness through each day of the year.

Being the new year everyone wears new clothes and gets ready for the next ritual "Kaineetam". Kaineetam is a symbolic act of sharing prosperity where the elders of the family give money to all the younger ones.

And no Kerala festival is complete without the elaborate delicious sadhya which is a grand array of sweet, tangy and spicy dishes eaten traditionally on the banana leaf.

So here's wishing all our dear readers a very blessed ,happy and prosperous Vishu. May each day ahead bring you a thousand more reasons for happiness.