Every festival has its own special vigor and vitality during the childhood days. The pleasant memory of Vishukkany, the nostalgic elements like Kanikkonna, kaineettam, and colourful crackers of Vishu season never fade away.
The blessed bright golden nature has been auspicious mark of Vishu; a nostalgic feeling to every Keralite. After many days of preparations and fireworks, children anxiously would go to sleep with a sweet dream of new day. Their inner soul would wait for a call from the mother, the visible goddess of every home.
In a half sleep mood every child would go with their eyes closed to experience the Vishukkani, the first sight with a splendor of prosperous symbols including Kanivellari (golden colored cucumbers), selected vegetables, fruits, corns with Uruli, Kanikkonna, and such auspicious items in the presence of lighted Nilavilakku (traditional lamp) – and above all small lord Krishna (Unnikkannan). Mother would have a sleepless night to arrange Vishukkani. She would awake before the Sunrise (Brahma Muhurtha) and wake up children and other members of the family. Whenever Vishu season come, my mind would go to the childhood memories that was precious.
The elders of the home would tell us, the children “The Vishukkani is meant for all the prosperity in the coming year.” So we could experience the care and pain they used to have during the day to make our life meaningful.
Vishu symbolizes the harvest festival and New Year celebration of Malayalee. A spectacular blend of material life and Mother Nature. The Sun in Medam (month of Malayalam) reach its zenith of spectacular brightness during this season. Mango trees are ripened with branches hanging down with numerous mangoes. Kanikkonna bloomed as a feast for every eye.
As children we had no tension of life’s perils. Every hardship was suffered by elders. We knew only to celebrate. We didn’t care about the scarcity. We didn’t care anything except the enjoyment. Fireworks used to attract us. But mother would warn us against using big crackers. But whenever she was engaged in hectic households, we try to burst crackers with our friends.
We would search for Kanikkonna (a yellow colored, attractive flower blooms during Vishu season.) for Kani preparation in the eve of Vishu. Kaineettam, a gift of money (coin) from elders really thrilled us. We would welcome the auspicious day with new dress and new thought. The sweets and feasts prepared with mother’s taste buds have been the mouth watering memories of childhood Vishu.
Schools would close for two month vacation before Vishu festival. As children we had the blessing of freedom at all level. No exam fear, no anxiety, no boundaries. Vishu, being the harvest festival of Kerala, we had got spacious natural play grounds nearby home such as paddy fields after harvest.
The golden colored field with ripened paddy was shown in large area in our village. The benevolent farmers were happy after having good reaps. But now everything has changed a lot. Paddy fields and crops have disappeared in large scale. The remaining are either kept unused or utilized for construction. The bankrupted farmer’s face reflects a sort of disappointment.
People are worried about their daily existence. Sky rocketing price of all necessary commodities affect their life. The unseasoned heavy rain badly hit the crops. Still every Malayalee has a dream of prosperous days ahead. All eyes are prepared to see a spectacular and auspicious Vishukkani…
