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Colours of Vishu
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Over the years, the celebrations and rituals associated with Vishu have undergone many changes. The Metro Plus team talks to some Malayalis about Vishu celebrations outside India
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Reviving ties Women arranging the ‘Vishukkani’
Nostalgia flowers during festivals. Vishu, celebrated with flowers, fruits and vegetables, celebrates the bond between man and nature. Over the years, the celebrations and rituals have undergone many changes. What has remained constant is the enthusi
asm with which the festival is celebrated in Kerala and outside the State where Malayalis have made their homes.
Deepa Seetaram, wife of senior diplomat T.P. Seetaram, says: “It has been a little over 26 years since I celebrated Vishu in Kerala. Having lived in many different countries, each place with its own different flowers, vegetables and fruits, I have learnt to adapt. Although, I used to feel a little upset at not being able to get ‘kanikonnas’ for Vishu, I have got used to it and I have started using any yellow flowers and fruits to substitute.
Like home
“Being in Bangkok was almost like being in Kerala. Major roads in Bangkok are lined with Laburnums as it happens to be the ‘Royal Flower- Raaj Phruk.’ So getting the ‘kani’ ready was not a problem with the abundance of fruits and flowers.”
Like Deepa, BMC Nair, former diplomat and author, has fond memories of Vishu celebrated in countries as diverse as Swaziland, Singapore, Egypt, Vietnam and Kuwait to name just a few places that he worked in while in the IFS.
He says, “The most memorable Vishu that I ever celebrated was the Vishu of 1973 while I was posted as a young diplomat in Egypt. There were a few of us (Malayalis) there and it was quite a task to put up a celebration. We, with the help of Air India, got all the things from back home for the kani and the sadya.”
Although organising the sadya was the highlight of the celebrations, he had help from Malayali colleagues and friends in putting together the kani. “A Christian friend made a beautiful altar, and on that the Vishu kani was laid out, complete with an idol of Lord Krishna; it was a beautiful sight to behold.”
Deepa says that she has reached a stage when she is satisfied if she could get a tray or two consisting of various fruits, green mangoes are out of question in most places, a few vegetables, and a piece of jewellery, an Aaranmula mirror and some money – which varies with different currencies and coins that are used locally!
“So the ‘Kaineettams’ I give and receive could be in Hong Kong dollars, Zambian Kwachas, Chinese Yuans, Cambodian Riels, South African Rands, Swiss Francs, Thai Bahts, New Taiwan dollars and so on. Giving and receiving ‘kaineettams’ is limited of course to the immediate family and I always feel bad that relatives are all so far away,” she says.
Dr. KPP Nambiar, who retired as Director of Inter Governmental Organisation of FAO, UN remembers how they celebrated Vishu in Tokyo. “We could not get kanikonnas so we used yellow orchids instead.
Even the vegetables for the occasion were not available easily but we tried to hold on to the traditional ways as far as possible. Do you know that Japanese have a very similar custom of Kaineettam? It is on their New Year, which falls on January 1. On that day they put coins in a red bag and give it to children early morning. It is called Oshogatsu.”
BMC Nair remembers how since crackers were banned in some of these countries he worked in, he would “arrange for the noiseless poothiris, kambithiris and chakrams.”
What celebration is complete without songs? He remembers two songs that they sang as part of the celebrations, “national songs symbolic of Kerala for us. One was KPAC’s introductory song ‘Thunchanparambile thathe varu’ and ‘Maamalakalkappurathu Marathagapattuduthu…’”
On the other hand Paris-based artist Akkitam Narayanan says he hardly celebrates Vishu. “It becomes a regional thing when one lives outside Kerala. We, in fact, celebrate New Year on January 1. There is a group of Malayalis who get together for functions.” Artist Viswanath, Akkitham’s neighbour in Paris, get together sometimes for festivals.
Says Akkitham, “There is dancer Savithri Nair who is settled in Paris. She often organises such functions with her daughter Shantala Shivlingappa, another famous dancer. It is rare that I am in India during summer but for the last three-four years we have been here for Vishu. We follow it the traditional way. Our family gets together and my wife, Sachiko, too joins in the festivities,” he explains.
However, BMC Nair rues that as he rose in seniority and became Ambassador and High Commissioner his involvement in the nitty-gritty of the celebrations reduced. “I would attend celebrations, but I would invite other Ambassadors such as that of France or Germany to be part of the celebrations,” reminisces BMC Nair, who retired as the Ambassador to Kuwait.
Vishu in Kerala
But Deepa feels that Vishu in Kerala is definitely something special.
“A few years back, my kids happened to be in the city for Vishu with my parents and at night, we received a call and they sounded so excited, saying that they had received money from so many of our relatives that they wanted to be in Kerala every year, for Vishu!”
WITH INPUTS FROM SHILPA NAIR ANAND, PRIYADERSHINI S, SARASWATHY NAGARAJAN
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