THOUGHTS ON A VISHU* DAY

[Guest guest]

THOUGHTS ON A VISHU* DAY I don"t know why my mind is wanderingGoing deep until I reachYears behind there I saw meAs a small kid We wait for Vishu alwaysSince we could play with CrackersMy father tell us to buy crackersFrom a shop known to him He knows my father very wellSo he will not sell anything harmfulI will ask him to give big onesShop guy never gives us the ones we ask A lot of children of neighborhoodComes to see Vishu

Kani**My mom or dad gives themMoney as a gift of the year Present days children are ashamedOf going to any housesSince everybody are rich and saturatedOr elders never allow them go anywhere In the morning workers come to our landTo plough the soil and sow some seedsAs a beginning of year of prosperityNow I don't know whether anybody follows thiscopyright© Prasad*VISHU - A FESTIVAL OF SOUTH INDIA**Vishu Kani - Most important ritual of the day is called "Vishu Kani", the literal translation of this is "first sight". In Kani Kanal there is a prescribed list of items, which a person must see first thing on a Vishu morning to bring good luck. This include a cadjan leaf book, gold ornaments, fresh white cloth, a measure of rice or paddy, flowers of the Konna tree (Cussia fistula), halved jack fruits, halved coconuts and yellow cucumber. All these things are kept in a big pot and behind this pot is kept the bell metal mirror and a garlanded deity of Lord Krishna. Two standing oil lamps are also placed before the deity.