Kerala Celebrates 'Malayalam New Year' With Joy & Traditions

Vishu, like many other traditional festivals, is connected with many noble ideals like as togetherness, care for one another, respect for agriculture, and so on. Vishu is a spring event in Kerala that commemorates the start of a new agricultural cycle. Farmers traditionally pray for abundant harvests on Vishu day.

On Vishu day, special pujas are held at various temples, including the famous Guruvayur and Sabarimala. On this day, any Keralites go up early to see 'Vishu Kani,' a gathering of auspicious items (flowers, fruits, vegetables, rice, and a tiny figure of Lord Krishna) as well as a Nilavilaku, a lamb.

Elders lead children from their beds to the Vishu Kani with their hands covering their eyes. When they reach the Vishu Kani and take a darshan of it, their eyes are opened.

Another traditional Vishu Day practise is Vishu Kaineettam, which involves elders offering money to children and others. Vishu Sadhya, a magnificent meal with traditional Kerala foods, is definitely a must.

Because Vishu marks the beginning of a new year, it also underlines the need of contemplation and rejuvenation, in which one evaluates their lives and, if required, makes changes for the better.

According to one tale, Vishu is the day when the Sun begins to rise in the east again after Lord Rama killed the evil Ravana. According to tradition, Ravana prevented Surya Bhagavan from rising in the east. Another tradition has it that Vishu falls on the day Lord Krishna killed the demon Narakasura.

People in Kerala were seen shopping for the Vishu festival last Friday. Many people were observed in Kottayam collecting Lord Krishna's statue and flowers from the Konna tree for Vishu Kani. Most of the businesses in the district were loaded with Lord Krishna sculptures; there was such a vast variety of Krishna statues in shops such as Little Krishna, Blue Krishna, Krishna and Radha.