| If your first step is
wrong, the whole voyage will be wrong. In Kerala emphasis is put
on the beginning of everything. Getting off to a good start is crucial,
as the beginning is the foundation upon which everything that comes
after rests on. The Kerala culture, perhaps more than any other,
stresses the significance of beginning things properly. The position
of the stars and planets is taken into consideration to insure auspicious
beginnings, ‘homas’ are performed and ‘stotrams’
are chanted to Lord Ganesha in order to remove potential obstacles
before the start of any mission. Prayers to God are always offered.
Even when studying the Upanishads, which declare the only true power
to be our own Self, shanti mantras are chanted before beginning
each session of study.
The Malayalam word kani literally means "something which is
seen first," so "Vishukkani" means "something
which is seen first on Vishu." In Kerala the night before Vishu
the Vishukkani is arranged in the family puja room by the mother
in the family, the Vishukkani is a collection of auspicious items,
including images of Lord Vishnu, flowers, fruits and vegetables,
clothes and gold coins. Lord Vishnu, the preserver of creation,
is the aspect of the Paramatman that is focused upon during Vishu.
In “jyotish”, Indian astrology, Vishnu is seen as the
head of Kaala Purusha, the God of Time. As Vishu marks the first
day of the Zodiac New Year, it is an appropriate time to offer oblations
to Lord Vishnu.
Akshatam, a mixture of rice and turmeric, which is divided into
halves of husked and un-husked rice, is placed in a special bowl
called an ‘uruli’. The uruli traditionally is made of
‘panchaloham’, an aggregate of five metals. Panchaloham
being symbolic of the universe, which is comprised of the five great
elements—earth, water, fire, air and space. A nice, well-starched
cloth is then pleated fan-like and inserted into a highly polished
brass kindi (a spouted puja vessel used for pouring sacred water).
The val-kannadi, a special type of mirror with an extremely long
and thin handle, often decorated with gold, is also inserted into
the kindi. The kindi is then placed in the uruli on top of the rice.
Two deepams, (small oil lamps) which are formed from the two halves
of a split coconut, are also kept in the uruli. The wicks are made
from pieces of starched cloth that are made into bulbs at the base.
These bulbs are placed into the coconut oil that fills the deepams,
anchoring the wicks in place. The starch helps the rest of the wick
to extend straight upwards so that they will properly burn. The
lighting of the deepam welcomes God into our lives and is also symbolic
of spiritual knowledge—the remover of the darkness of ignorance.
Gold—both in colour and in coins—is central to the Vishukkani.
Kanikkola, a golden-yellow flower associated with Sri Krishna is
used generously throughout the puja room. This flower only blooms
when the sun is in its most exalted position astrologically—the
month surrounding Vishu. In the puja room, the flower verily represents
the sun itself, the eyes of Lord Vishnu. Gold coins are symbols
of financial wealth, as well as cultural and spiritual wealth, which
the elders of the family must share freely with the younger generation.
Vishukkaineettam, (offering of money) the distribution of wealth,
is another aspect of the festival. It should be given freely and
accepted with respect. On Vishu, the highly affluent families will
not only give money to their children but also their neighbours,
perhaps the entire village. The Vishukkani will also be accompanied
by gold-coloured fruits and vegetables, such as bananas, jackfruit,
golden cucumber, etc. The akshatam, as it is full of turmeric, also
is gold in colour, as is the shiny brass of the kindi, the panchaloham
and the reflection of the mirror.
Last but not least, a spiritual book, such as the Bhagavad-Gita,
should be made part of the arrangement. The book is the pramanam—the
instrument used for attaining the eternal, non-perishable wisdom
of the Rishis—as well as a symbol of that knowledge itself.
In Kerala the grandmothers or mothers who arrange the Vishukkani
will sleep in the puja room after she is finished and then, waking
during the auspicious hour of the Brahma muhurata (4:00 to 6:00
a.m.), she will light the oil-lamp wicks and take in the auspicious
sight. She will then walk to the rooms where the rest of the family
is sleeping and wake them. Covering their eyes, she will then lead
them to the puja room, where she will allow them to take in the
auspicious sight. Upon opening one's eyes, one is overwhelmed with
the glorious darshan (blessing) of the Lord. The mirror—which
is symbolic of Bhagavati (Devi), not only increases the lustre of
the Vishukkani via the reflection it offers, but also shows our
own face, reminding us that God is not someone sitting in the heavens
upon a golden throne, but the pure awareness that is our true nature.
The mirror also points to the importance of making our mind pure
enough to render this truth unadulterated.
In Kerala the Vishukkani is not reserved only for those who come
to the puja room, but is taken around—for the viewing of the
elderly and sick that are perhaps too frail to come to the shrine.
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 nature to see. Vishukkani points to a year
of abundance—both spiritually and materially. Food, light,
money, knowledge—all should fill our life. Taking in the Vishukkani
we should pray that the vision remains with us throughout the year.
It is not enough that the joy we take from viewing the Vishukkani
comes only to our eyes. It must reflect in our thoughts and in our
actions. It is up to us to spread this love, happiness and hope
to the rest of the society.
While the festival is called "Vishu" in Kerala, across
India festivals sharing the same spirit—such as “Bihu”
in Assam and “Baisakhi” in Punjab, “Ugadhi”
in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, “Gudi Padwa” in Maharashtra,—are
all celebrated around a similar time of year.
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MAA Kerala,
Specialists in Sending Vishu present tokerala.
We send flowers, cake , mundu, kasavu mundu, kasavu sari, Sari,
toys, and sweets to kerala on Vishu.
Contact us today to find out more about how we can help you to
send an Vishu gift to your loved one in kerala,
email: sales@maa-kerala.com
or browse our gift categories.
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