Vishu 2020 Date in Kerala, Tamil Nadu: Importance, Significance of Vishu Festival?

Vishu 2020 Date in India: Much like other festivals, food is a special attraction on Vishu. People feast on sadya — a feast consisting of various traditional vegetarian dishes.

By: Lifestyle Desk

New Delhi | Updated: April 13, 2020 04:22 PM IST

2 min read

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Vishu 2020 Date in India: On the day of Vishu, the most important event is the Vishukkani, which means sighting the most auspicious thing at dawn for bringing luck throughout the year.

Vishu 2020 Date in India: Vishu is celebrated with much fanfare in all parts of Kerala. Although it’s not traditionally celebrated as New Year in the Malayalam calendar, people in the Malabar region consider Vishu the astrological new year. On the day of Vishu, the most important event is the Vishukkani or auspicious sighting at dawn that is usually an arrangement for worship, which is meant to bring luck throughout the year.

The festival is observed in the early hours of the day in temples, such as Sabarimala Ayyappan Temple or Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple or Kulathupuzha Sree BaalaShastha Temple. Friends and families come together to mark this day and prepare delicacies. Members of the family wake up early to watch the golden blossoms of the laburnum tree and make offerings of money, silver items and rice. Children also participate in the revelry by wearing new clothes and bursting firecrackers.

Vishu is also a day of feasting. The foods consist of equal proportions of salty, sweet, sour and bitter items. Feast items include Veppampoorasam, a bitter preparation of neem and Mampazhapachadi, a sour mango soup. Much like other festivals, food is a special attraction on Vishu. People feast on sadya— a feast consisting of various traditional vegetarian dishes. It is usually served on a banana leaf in Kerala. It is also believed by many that their new year would be better if they view auspicious things on this day.

Thus, Malayali women prepare a setting called Vishukkani — with items such as rice, golden lemon, golden cucumber, coconut cut open, jack fruit, kanmashi kajal, betel leaves, arecanut, metal mirror, golden yellow Konna flowers, holy Hindu texts, coins or currency notes, oil lamp, and an image of the Hindu God Vishnu. The oldest person in the house lights up the lamp at dawn and blindfolds each member to open their eyes to see it before anything else.

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