Vishu 2022: Date, history, significance, celebration of Malayali New Year

Vishu 2022: Vishu, the harvest festival, celebrated mainly in Kerala, is the the first day of the Malayali month of Medam. The word Vishu means equal in Sanskrit and marks vernal equinox when the day and the night are almost equal in length. (Also read: Vishu 2022: Wishes, messages, images to share with loved ones)

Date and significance

This year Vishu falls on April 15. Also known as Malayali New Year, the day is considered auspicious to begin the harvest season and farmers start ploughing of the land on this day.

Celebration

The celebrations begin at sunrise as people wake up at dawn and start their day by looking at Vishu Kani. A day before the festival, an elder member of the house sets up the Vishu Kani which is basically ceremonial placing of auspicious things like raw rice, flowers, coins, lemon, golden cucumber, jack fruit, a holy book, cotton dhoti among other things in the puja area. These things are placed in a bell-shaped vessel called Uruli. The traditional metal lamp called Nilavilakku is also lighted and placed beside Uruli. On the day of the festival, all family members wake up in morning with closed eyes and look at Vishu Kani the first thing to attract good luck and prosperity.

After the custom of Vishu Kani, the Malayalis read verses from the Ramayana, post which crackers are burst by all as part of Vishu Paddakam. All members of the family then come together for relishing the sumptuous Vishu Sadya which is served on banana leaf and has no less than 20-30 dishes. Vishu Thoran, Beans Thoran, Beetroot Pachadi, Manga Peukku, Tomato Rasam, Aviyal, Sarkara Varatti, Olan, Chakka Aviyal, Semiya Payasam are some of the delicacies which are part of the feast.

History

The legend goes that Lord Krishna killed Narakasura the demon on this day while another says that it was the day when the Surya Dev returned. It is said that demon king Ravana did not allow the Sun God to rise from the east and Vishu marks the day after Ravana’s death when sun could finally rise from the east.