I exactly don’t remember the day but it was the month of February. I was teaching my son his General Knowledge lessons. Teaching my son a few lessons from his school is one of the difficult tasks for me. Sometimes I have thought climbing a mountain will be pretty easy. When I was a kid I used spent hours revising my subjects. But nowadays kids are so cool-minded they are not worried about anything nor they have any big goals and ambitions in their life. Whenever I ask my kid what is your ambition he would reply to me that I want to lead a peaceful life by indulging in an average earning job. I used to wonder about his reply. Let me come to the point. Tomorrow is my son, Rihaan’s General Knowledge exams. I was trying my best to teach him. As I am short-tempered I lose my patience so soon. Understanding my character my mother-in-law voluntarily took the duty of teaching my son. She started asking him several questions which I taught him an hour ago. With full confidence, he replied to her questions correctly. For each correct answer, she rewarded him a lemon candy which he liked the most. As he knew all the points of lesson 3 she turned the page and started to teach him lesson 4. She asked him the name of the festival celebrated as part of the harvest in Kerala. Suddenly someone rang the doorbell. Rihaan ran towards the door by screaming daddy! Daddy… He did not pay attention to what his granny asked him. He was too busy to unseal the packets of sweets bought for him by his dad. Before he kept the sweet in his mouth granny grabbed the sweet for him and set a condition that he will be allowed to have it if answers the lesson 4s all the questions. My husband also supported his mother. This time poor Rihaan was forced to obey our instructions. She repeated the question. He spontaneously answered by telling ‘Vishnu’ what! We asked him. He again replied that ‘the name of the harvest festival in Kerala is Vishnu.’ We laughed like anything. Like a rock, he stuck to his answer. When he saw us still laughing he understood that he made a mistake. My mother-in-law rectified him telling that the name of the festival is ‘Vishu’. ‘Vishu’, what a name it is? I did not like the name he said in anger. What is this harvest festival? Why it is celebrated annually? Why the Malayalees gave such a boring name to it? There was no end for his questions. We all understood his pathetic condition. His granny took him to her side and made him sit on his lap and explained the importance of the harvest festival.
Vishu is a harvest festival celebrated by the Malayalees every year in the month of April or in the month of Medam (as per the Malayalam calendar). There are several myths related to the celebration of the Vishu. There was a time when the whole world feared Ravana, the powerful demon. Even the sun was so afraid that he used to rise from the west and set in the east. It was after the death of the Ravana sun started to raise form east and set in the west. It is aloes believed that on the day of Vishu the sun remains on the top of the equator. Another story is Lord Krishna killed the demon Narakasura on a Vishu day and that is the reason why small children are dressed like Lord Krishna. The festival of Vishu is also considered as New Year not only by the Malayalees but also by people all over the country. Only the name differs such as ‘Bisu’ in Karanataka, ‘Puthandu or Chithirai Vishu’ in Tamil, ‘Ugadi’ in Andhra Pradesh, ‘Gudi Padva’ in Maharashtra, ‘Baisakh or Poila Baisakh’ in West Bengal, ‘Baisakhi’ in Punjab and ‘Bohag Bihu’ in Assam. On the day of Vishu, farmers begin plowing of land and agricultural activities. Hundreds of Malayalees with their family tour to Kerala by availing of tour packages to participate in the mesmerizing festival. The main three aspects of Vishu are Vishu Bhalam, Vishu Kani and Vishu Kaineetam.
Vishu Kani
It is a common belief of all the Indians that if the beginning is good the end will be perfect. Just like what we say in English ‘half done is well done’ or ‘first impression is the best impression’. The Malayalees firmly believe in this principle. As aforementioned Vishu is considered a new year in Kerala, so what we see first after wakening determines our fortune. Hence on the previous day of the Vishu an elderly lady maybe mother or grandmother arranges the puja room with various things like gold-colored fruits, vegetables like cucumber, jackfruit, and etc. Akshtam made from both husked and un-husked rice and turmeric will be placed in a golden vessel called ‘uruli’- it is made out of panchaloham. A starched cloth fleeted like a fan is immersed in a brass vessel called ‘kind’- it is traditionally used for pouring water. A mirror called valkannadi is altos immersed in the kindi and the kindi will be kept in the uruli. Two deepams made from two halves of coconut are lighted in and kept in the uruli. The lighting of deepam resembles the spiritual knowledge. A golden yellow colored flower called ‘kannikonna’ which blooms during the festival time is also kept in the uruli. Also the holy book Bhagavad Gita is also placed in the puja room. After arranging the whole puja room the elderly person unwinds herself there and wakes up at the auspicious time (i.e. 4 am to 6 am) and calls each family member and asked them to close their until they reach the puja room.
Vishu Kaineettam
The elderly person in the family gives either gold coins or rupees to each member of the family. This indicates a kind of fortune.
Vishu Vili and Vishu Bhalam
Small children will run throughout their village by asking ‘vishu kaniye, vishu kaniye’. Hearing to their request the neighborhoods will call them and offer sweet dishes made out of rice called ‘kaniyappam’. While savoring the dishes an astrologer will arrive there and will predict one whole year’s climatic conditions and also on sometimes he will tell our fortune too! and this known as Vishu Bhalam.
Rihaan was deeply immersed in the story that he forgets to east his lemon candy and is glued to his fingers. He thanked his grandma for sharing wonderful stories. He expressed his wish of visiting Kerala and participating in the festival. My hubby promised that he will take to Kerala by purchasing the cheap family tour packages from Gogeo Holidays. He innocently asked for the reward of attempting the last question. Without delay, my hubby handed over eth packets of sweets to him.
Gogeoholidays 