Traditions.... some mine and some borrowed!!!

Vishu... Wishing One and All Lots of Prosperity, Happiness and Good Health this Vishu...

"Putthaandu" -- Tamil New year is celebrated on the first day of the month Chithirai (mid April to Mid May).  In Kerala and and amongst Palaghat Tamilians, it is celebrated as Vishu.  This festival symbolizes equality as in, the day and the night having equal number of hours in duration, it being the day of Spring equinox!!   It is also believed to bring in a lot of luck, prosperity and hopefulness for a bright year ahead.  Some of the rituals associated with this is Vishu kaanal and kaineetam (showed as in the picture above).
I come from a family whose lineage goes back to the Cauvery river banks in Tanjavoor and the land of Sanga Tamizh ... Madurai.  And then how do I observe a typical Kerala custom?? 

Well... I grew up in Mysore with my parents having  a wide variety of friends from all over with a large influence of Palaghat Brahmins.  This sect of Brahmins moved from Tanjore to Palghat couple centuries ago in search of new job prospects and livelihood.  They prospered and grew in clan size in Palaghat, a part of Kerala, and imbibed a little of the culture of the state and retaining some of their native state in turn coming up with a new culture... the Palaghat culture and their own unique mode of cooking.... the Palaghat Chamayal which is to die for!!!  I absolutely love it and is now part of my comfort food repertoire  today!!!  I can make a very meanly yummy Vathakozhambu (from Tanjore) and a lip smacking Malagootal (from Palaghat)!!  I need a new blog post to honor both dishes, so shall save that for another day!!! 

Back to Vishu....

My mother as I said, had a lot of Palaghat Tamil friends, and one of whom I hold dear to me is Radha mami!!  I would love to go to her house, very well kept, mami was always into some form of art or the other, be it Ikebana, sewing dresses for her girls and me (yes!), gardening with a passion, growing crotons, cacti and gerberas and cooking the yummiest Palaghat chamayal of which I love her Pooshinikkai, Parangikkai Kozhambu which I coined as "Radha Mami Kozhambu"!!  When I met her after very many years at my brother's wedding, I introduced her to my hubby as, "K.. please meet her, she is Radha mami.... remember the kozhambu I make and we love so much.... well... it is courtesy her"!!  I am suddenly missing her so much.... maybe will call her and chat with her.... soon!!!

Well... what can I say, we all grew up as a family.... My parents would go on a date, and I would spend my evenings with her family with my brother, and on one such occasion, I saw mami getting ready to keep the "KANI", in her pooja room, and explained to me how, the next morning, mama, her husband would get the girls, their eyes covered, and see the spread of Vegetables, fruits, jewelry, money in different denominators, and nava danyam and of course the seasonal yellow flower (Konna poo.. Cassia fistula) and how they would get a rupee coin for good luck and they would end up enjoying a sadya ( a 7 course feast served on a plantain leaf), ending with milk pudding.... the king of all desserts... Paal Payasam!! 

I was always in awe, and would come home and would beg my mom to do the same.... and my mom, would try and explain, that this was not part of our custom and would give me her version of paal payasam and manga patchadi (A sweet and savoy dish made of Mangoes, jiggery and a little spice... to die for again)!!

I would be very crest fallen, but made a mental note to try and replicate Radha mami's vishu traditions after I set up my own home and believe it or not, this was my 17th Vishu Kani and I tirelessly and very joyously do it, year after year!!!  I had a few constraints... my lovely abode is up for sale ( Don't worry, I am moving to a nice one very soon), yet, I kept my kani on my dresser, in front of that huge mirror, graced by my family deity and Radha mami's Guruvayoorappan (Krishna from Kerala!). 

I can't let go of the traditions I grew up with my mom, so made her TamilVirundu (feast!!), making both my moms happy!!!!  I do this religiously every year and my children think this is how it is done .. Vishu kaanal, kaineetum and my Tamil Virindu!!! 

From right:  Semiya payasam, Pineapple Patchadi, Paruppu Vadai, Applam, Urulakizhangu kari, Thakkali Paruppu Rasam, Aviyal, KodaiMalagai Sambaar, Saadam, Paruppu and Nei!!! 

My Children beautifully get to have a slice of both here and there!!!! 
My MIL, who is from Tirunalveli, also looks forward to hearing from me if I have kept kani or not.... for a person who has never seen one, when she visited me one spring, observed it with me, and the next spring when I was in Chennai, for my BIL's wedding, she very excitedly, like a child asked me to keep it.  She has downsized her home and now is unable to keep kani, but definitely makes it a point to make sure I have kept up with my traditions....which got me thinking, how beautifully, memories get transpired to tradition and gets spread to all those whom I hold close,  near and dear to me!!!  I had to pen this piece and send it into the cosmos, who knows.... very soon, it could be a tradition at yours!!!!  Wishing you and yours the best this whole year and for many more wonderful years to follow.....
 


Vishu... Wishing One and All Lots of Prosperity, Happiness and Good Health this Vishu...