Keralites celebrate Vishu festival strictly according to the astrological calculations which apparently underscore the astronomical facts. Maya Krishnan turns the pages back to the traditional rituals to see how an average Malayali cope it with the advancements in every phase of his life.

On a particular date in a year Malaylis, the inhabitants of Southern India in Kerala, meet with an amazing celestial experience – day and night with absolutely equal length. It happens when the Sun crosses the equinox and hence it is not confined to Kerala only. But in Kerala, this phenomenon brings in a celeb-mood through out. This is their New Year day and they call it ‘vishu’.

Even before the digital computing and manual accounting, Indians had their own calculations by knowing the various positions of the planets with reference to Sun and its effects on man and the whole Nature. Even before the bombastic entrance of Galileo’s telescope Indian yogis measured the pace of Sun’s chariot driven by seven horses. Later, scientists explained us how the seven satellites revolve and resuscitate the Sun, the Preserver.

The reason why the people in India compute the Indian year from the month when the sun enters Aries — the ram in the signs of the Zodiac — is said to be one philosophically derived from the science of Cosmo-genesis. The Sanskrit word for ‘ram’ is aja which means ‘that which is not born.’ Therefore the sign of the Zodiac under reference stands for the ultimate cause of everything, and accordingly the month in which the sun enters this sign is rightly considered to be the first month of the year.

Tamilians of South India arrive at their New Year day in accordance with the movement of the sun and it is the astronomical year which marks the vernal equinox. The Telugu and the Kannada-speaking people follow the lunar or the luni-solar systems, which precedes the Tamil New Year. Thus when the Sun crosses the equinox in 2010 is on April 15 exuding an equally lengthened day-night in Kerala, the land of celebration and festivities, Keralites observes this day as Vishu. In Sanskrit ‘vishuam’ means equal night and day.

Vishu- a religious observance.

From time immemorial, the Hindu conception of an ideal life has been one of sacrifices and religious observances. Thus Malayali started the preparations for the coming year on the vishu day. As Kerala was abundant and rich with agrarian community in the bygone days, they used to plough the land on this day and it was referred to as ‘vishupoottu’.

They started to believe that the fortunes for the year depend upon the nature of the objects one sees first on the Vishu day. So instead of the pomp and splendor usually follows with any festivities gave way to religious observances and presence of mascots on that day. Thus vishu is being observed in Kerala as a religious observance rather than a regional festival.

Vishu festival showcases the strict observance of Hindu customs and unlike Onam, the regional festival, Vishu stands apart from other communities than Hindu, in spite of certain media hypes as a secular festivity. The significant part of Vishu festival is ‘vishukani’ which is nothing but the glorious darshan (perceiving) of Lord Sri Krishna, ornamented with the ritualistic arrangements of certain auspicious things worth to be a talisman for a prosperous New Year ahead.

Vishukkani- mascot for a whole year

Vishu preparations start on the previous day itself with the cleaning of houses, out houses, courtyards and everywhere around the stay. After removing all the wastes and rubbishes from the home, the elders who do this throw it away chanting ‘Chetta bhgavathi popo, sree bhagavathy va va’. The right translation of this hackneyed old saying signifies the clearing away of all the ills out of home and welcoming the virtuous one into. Individually, it symbolizes the introspections and brushing ups one must have to undergo at least annually as a sacrament or penance to start with a clean  slate.

Next is the turn of making up of the vishukani. All sorts of auspicious things according to Hindu customs and beliefs are arranged in a ritualistic manner in front of the statuette of Lord Krishna. Kanikonna flowers, the Golden Shower which blooms only when the sun is in its exalted position astrologically is the significant one among this. Raw rice, any other dal items, halved coconut, golden yellow colored cucumber, mirror, gold, coins, new cloth, any Holy Scripture and like things are arranged in the pooja room in the previous night itself. Next morning, in Brahma muhurtha, ie in between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. the mother of the home lit the nilavilakku, the auspicious lamp made of bronze and upholds the virtuous abundance of gold and golden clad divinity. Then she awakens other family members and leads them one by one closing their eyes only to open it before the profusion of blessedness.

Even the piety shown and enjoyed by an average Hindu is confined to symbolism via sagunopasana. So every ritual is directly or indirectly linked with some or other sorts of symbolic rites. Thus the richness of propitious things arranged in the bronze bowl before the lord signifies the abundance of prosperity. The mirror is symbolic of Devi the Goddess or via the reflection it offers one may also be reminded of his eternal duty (Sanatana Dharma) as eternal spirits. Thus it becomes a devotional service unto Him, by making use of all these material requirements provided by Him. The mirror also denotes the significance of making our mind clear enough to render the devotional service with unadulterated love and piety.

Vishukkani is not reserved only for those who come to the pooja room, but is taken around—for the viewing of the elderly and the sick who are perhaps too weak to come over there. It is also brought outside and shown to the family cows. As it is brought to the cowshed, it in fact is on display for the birds, the trees, for all of the nature to see and bow.

Keralites believe that what they see as their first sight in the New Year day would remain with them throughout that year. So they try hard to make the vishukani magnanimous as well as auspicious to its maximum. Material and spiritual abundance they uphold at the peep of the day fills the life with richness of virtue.

Vishukaineetam – a rite and right

Next awaited part is of vishukaineetam.. The eldest member of the family gives off a coin (sometimes a gold one) in the hands of all the other members and they bow to him to get the blessings. In the earlier days of Landlordism, the landlord used to distribute a coin and a new clothing to each tenant he possesses. Highly affluent families will give money to the neighbors perhaps the entire village. Gold coins (or simply coins) are considered to be the symbols of monetary affluence as well as cultural and spiritual wealth. It should be given freely and accepted with reverence. As the time passes, it became a symbolic sharing of the prosperity and wishing happiness to all throughout the year. It became a right of the young ones to get ‘something’ from all elders.

Bursting of crackers

Light and sound always signify merriment in an Indian’s life. Deepavali is such a festival in the whole India, the main attraction which comes to be lighting a lot of lamps and bursting of crackers. For Keralites, Vishu is more important than Deepavali and they burst crackers of different varieties on the vishu eve. Children and elders find joy in the myriad-colored flames and thunderbolt-like bursts. Mild burns are a common sight during these festive moods.

On Top

For the Keralites, who reside outside the State, this is a time for nostalgic thoughts and a turning back to the pages of their childhoods. April-May is also their festival season starting from Pooram, vela, Easter, Vishu and everything they enjoyed with the sucking of  ripe mangoes. This is also a season of variety mangoes in Kerala. Waysides will be ornamented with golden showers hanging from the Kanikonna twigs seemed to be leafless, and golden mangoes from the canopies of mango trees, Gulmohar with its enchanting saffron-red awnings…… For every non-resident Keralite, such a picture of landscape will be live in their hearts. Let it be like that. Because, if they come down here to have the vision once more, those cuddled images will be lost for ever from their minds.

Global warming and its by-product climate change have its drastic impact on Kerala as never before. Golden Showers bloomed months back when the sun exalted and began to broil the earth, mile bug -  the new face of agricultural vandalism are set free with the vicious radiations from the mobile towers, have stolen the golden yellow mangoes from the domain of Malayalees. They don’t even get a jackfruit to set the vishukani. Due to the shortage of an ‘elderly man’ at home children get only crossed cheque as vishukaineetam.

TV channels are in a scurry to feast the Malyalees all over the world by the mops and mows of the cinematic heart-throbs throughout 24 hours. Hence no time to arrange the vishukani or a vishu feast. Family get-togethers are getting debased on the grandiloquent verbosities echoing through the TV channels. Children imprisoned inside the sky-high apartments or in the mushrooming summer camps are left with no mango trees to have a scuffle on the branches.

Anyways, for God’s sake Keralites are getting devoured on the vishu day, thanks to the Catering companies. They are getting artificially ripened mangoes and other vegetables, thanks to the hard working Tamilians. The cartoon-fed kids of Kerala get enough milk thanks to the government of Karnataka. Kerala housewives are getting sufficient raw or boiled rice to transform themselves to become perfect homemakers, thanks to the Government of Andhra Pradesh. But they never forget to arrange a vishukani even while on the run for shortcuts towards fortunes. Vishu kits containing all the needed things in snippets are available in the market for just Rs.30-40!!!.

Altogether Keralites are at the pinnacle of merriment in this festive season. Gold coins and other abundances of yellow are all set ready to be the first vision of every Malayali, wherever he is – in laptop, or in desktop, anyways, they are on top!!!

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