People in Kerala are celebrating their New Year today, which is also called Vishu and is the festival of lights and prosperity. According to the Malayalam calendar, the day marks the beginning of the Medam month, and Vishu is also considered the second most important festival after Onam in Kerala. Often, people new to the traditions of Keralites think that Vishu and Onam are the same festivals, but it isn’t.
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Onam festival
Onam is a major annual event for the Malayali community in and outside Kerala. It is a harvest festival, one of three major Hindu celebrations along with Vishu and Thiruvathira, and is celebrated with immense festivities. Onam marks the homecoming of the Great King Mahabali and the harvest season. The celebration of the harvest festival lasts for ten days and is observed with great splendour.
Vishu festival
Coming back to Vishu, it is the astronomical or zodiac new year. Historically, the festival is closely associated with the agrarian economy of Kerala because of which it is often misunderstood as the harvest festival, Onam. The auspicious day of Vishu begins with Vishu Kani, which is the first auspicious thing that people see on the day.
And it is believed that seeing Vishu Kani must take place during Brahma Muhurta, to seek Lord Krishna’s blessings. The auspicious rituals of Vishu Kani must be done to bring prosperity and good luck in the coming year.
One of the most authentic dishes that you can savour on this auspicious day is Vishu Kanji, which consists of rice with coconut milk and Indian spices. The consistency is like porridge and is usually consumed with papad. Other dishes that you can enjoy on this day are Vishu kata, mambazha pradhaman, unniyappam, and ela ada among others.
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