New Year in Kerala

Besides the physical beauty of ‘God’s Own Country’, Kerala has a rich cultural heritage, which fascinates Kerala Tourism enthusiasts a lot. Though it is not the New Year's Day in the Malayalam Calendar, people of Kerala consider Vishu the beginning of a new year.
The Keralites believe that the fortunes for the year depend upon the nature of the object one sees first in the morning of Vishu Day. In order to fulfil the desire to look at the auspicious articles, they prepare a 'Kani' (an omen) on the previous day for seeing in the next morning. In an uruli (a vessel) is placed a cucumber, betel leaves and nuts, metal mirror, yellow flowers of Konna tree, a Grandha (book of palm leaves) and a few gold coins. Early morning the eldest female member gets up and lights the lamp and looks at ‘Kani’. She wakes up the other members, and the Kani is shown to every one of them, taking particular care not to allow anyone to look at other things even by chance.

While the men and the children engage in bursting crackers, the women start cooking a variety of delicacies for the day's lunch. The women of the household prepare the feast or the ‘sadya’ and the whole family sits down to enjoy the vishu lunch together.

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