E-Kanni

Though I am a night owl, there is one time of the year, when I am really excited about waking up early in the morning, and that is on the day of Vishu. Vishu is the Malayalam New Year that falls at the start of Medamasam.

Walking down the memory lane, I can vividly recollect those days, when my dad and mom passionately set the Vishukkanni (literally means "the first to be seen on the Vishu day") on the eve of Vishu, while we children waited enthusiastically until next day morning to see the auspicious Vishukkanni that comprised of a picture of God encircled with fresh fruits, raw rice, yellow konna flowers, coins, and of course the sparkling flicker from the nilavilakku (lamp) to light it all at dawn.

My dad usually woke us up early next day, and walked us with our eyes closed, to the room where the kanni was set. Upon reaching the room, we would slowly open our sleepy eyes to see the Vishukkanni, and thanked God with a small silent prayer for all the blessings He bestowed upon us. And then the following day, my sister and I eagerly waited for the lunch time, for which my mother always laid a table full of scrumptious Vishu sadhya (feast) dishes.

Since this time of the year is very special to me, I always make it a point, every year, to set the Vishukkanni, and to prepare the traditional sadhya, and also to wish my dear and near ones.

This year, while I was doing my usual drill of wishing my friends and family, over phone and online, I realized that some of my facebook buddies saw a kanni very different from our traditional one. They saw the picture of a Vishukkanni on their laptops early in the morning. What more can I say, the kanni too has gone electronic!

Hope that era of electronic sadhya (feast) doesn't arrive soon where we have to stare at the picture of a traditional sadhya on our computers, and satisfy our bon appetite on a Vishu Day!

Anyway, here's wishing you all a Happy Vishu, and may you have a prosperous year ahead :-) !

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Tags: Anecdotes