New light of life as Vishu blooms

KOCHI: Bursting with excitement, Kochiites have geared up to usher in yet  another Vishu. The festival arrives invariably on the first day of the  Malayalam month of ‘Medam’. The harvest festival glitters in yellow and gold with Laburnums in bloom on  roadsides, homes and office premises. The yellow ‘kanivelleri’, gold coins,  brocade off-white mundu and the lamp light up hopes in every heart.  The majority of homes have already geared up for Vishu by tidying up the     place, getting the ‘uruli’ out and gathering all the items required for setting the Vishu Kani. “I religiously follow the Vishu rituals every year. It is also a time when the family gets together. We wake up early morning to see the kani and burst crackers and light sparklers to auger a brand season. Belief goes that seeing the ‘kani’ and receiving the handsel from senior members of the  family heralds a bright future,” said Suchitra, a housewife at Vyttila. The kids have something more to be excited about. “We are already enjoying our vacation and Vishu is a topping on the cake. Our cousins and friends will come over and we looking forward to some fun,” said a few kids staying at an apartment on the SRM Road.  Unlike Onam, Vishu is more of a family affair and is not celebrated at  offices and other institutes. But, in most residents’ associations pleasantries are exchanged and ‘kaineettam’ given to little ones. Youngsters and adults join together and burst crackers. “Though celebrations are not as grand as Onam, excitement is in the air.  Vishu celebrations are generally limited to homes, neighbours do distribute payasam and other foodies. Residents gather in groups and burst crackers. Vishu is a secular concept and its contribution is great, but residents associations in the city have not chalked out any official programme,” said P Rangadasa Prabhu, Ernakulam District Residents’ Associations Apex Council.   “Firework shops have surfaced and so have hawkers who are busy stringing a mango, a ‘kanivellari’, a tender jackfruit and a stalk of ‘kanikonna’ to be  sold on Friday. It will cost about `15 or `20,” said residents of Mattanchery.The spirit of Vishu is also felt at railway stations, bus stands and airport where a heavy rush is expected going by the ticket reservation, said officials.