Vishu

Vishu falls in mid-April - the solar new year for Kerala,
the moment the sun enters the sign of Aries and the
new astronomical cycle begins.

The night before Vishu, the eldest person in the
household prepares the Vishukkani - the auspicious
sight. This is an arrangement containing a small
image of Vishnu or Krishna, a yellow konna flower,
raw rice, coins, a mirror, a lit lamp, fruits,
vegetables, and new cloth.

In the early morning, before first light, the eldest
wakes first and goes to the vessel. Then they wake
each family member in turn, leading them with eyes
covered to stand before it. The first thing each
person sees on Vishu morning is the Vishukkani.

The logic is beautiful and demanding: what you see
first on the new year's morning is what you set your
whole year's direction by. So you ensure that the
first sight is auspicious - gold, light, the divine,
abundance represented.

For NRI families, the konna flower is what you almost
certainly cannot find abroad. Everything else in the
Vishukkani can be assembled wherever you are. The
intention is the structure. The specific materials
are the vessel for it.

Vishu also involves elders giving money to younger
family members and children. This is not a commercial
gesture. It is the transmission of the year's first
abundance downward through the generations.