Waiting for another vishu...

Vishu kani was prepared by me. Before the 'Kani vekka' we have to clean all the items in the pooja room. All the photos, vessels and books have to be cleaned.
The first thing in the kani is the 'Ottu uruli' this is from my mother in law. This is open mouthed circular vessel made of bell metal. Its large size is used in sadya and known as 'Varpu'. Then we place some 'Unakkalari' in the uruli. Then a kanivellari, coconut, fruits and all vegetables. In another brass plate we have to arrange a kasavu pudava, a mirror, kunkum cheppu, kanmazhi, nellu and some coins( if we have aranmula kannadi it can be used). We have to place a bit of gold and silver in kani. We can use flowers kanikkonna is a must. We have to place bhagawatha and Ramayana which also a part of Kani. All this must be placed in front of Krishna and we can lit as many lamps. All this form a golden hue to the kani.

Every celebration has a chain of memory associated with it. When I think of Vishu its my mother's. Cleaning the house, preparing the vishu kani and giving Kaineettam. After the marriage I had learnt how to make a vishu kani. I will be the first one to see the kani. I really enjoy the amazing little eyes and the innocent questions about vishu. But I know the time is passing and the characters will change but there will be still krishna, konnappoo, uruli and every auspicious objects waiting for their turn.....

Our family friend from Thrissur side had given me 'Vishu katta' a special preparation for Vishu.

Recipe of Vishu katta from Curry World.

A touching story from a blogger

Kerala has a lot of traditional events. When I started blogging I became curious to collect images of some of events and to study the mythology behind them. I am listing some of the events from my previous posts...I think it may be useful to you...

Images of Ochira Kalakettu

Images and story of Neelam peroor Pooram Padayani

Thai pooya kavadiyattam from Perunna

Garudan thookkam from Thalayola parambu

Thrithayambaka from Mattannur Shankaran Kutty

Athachamayam from Thripunithura

Chambakkara vallm kali

Sarpa Kavu from Kerala

Its a good news from Kerala Government to protect the bio diversity of 'sarpa kavu' or sacred grove. Its a rich heritage and a link to the mother earth. In Kerala most of the families have their own 'Kavu'.
I had gone to many 'kavu' for poojas but didn't took any photos. But it was a thick greenery with rare medicinal plants. My father's ancestoral home had a kavu. After its renovation its greenery is not there instead of the green house they are planning to build a small temple for naga raja. Most of the families are taking the dieties to 'Mannara shala temple', 'Ameda temple' or 'Pambummekkattu temple' to escape from the fear of 'Sarpa dosham'. Its a serpant adobe of every home. This will be a little forest itself. There will be poojas only in certain days of an year.
Some homes had two or three kavu.
Mythology behind the kavu has strong connection with the birth of Kerala. According to hindu culture we believe that Parasurama had created Kerala from sea. Then it was a place with thick forest which contains poisonous snakes. Parasurama presented the land to Brahmins to live. They made these groves to worship these snakes.


Image of Sarpa kavu

Panji Tree

Panji kaya

Post about panjimaram

Kadachakka

Kada plavu from Idukki District.

My earlier post about Kadachakka
Bread fruit details in Wikipedia

Kadachakka masala curry from Kaipunyam

Kadachakka varuthu arachathu

Gramboo

Gramboo plant from a house at Vellayam kudi in Idukki District of Kerala.

It was a casual visit to this house after our Anjuruly trip. This was a house with traditional Kerala style architecture. House has 'Ara', 'Pathayam' and 'Nilavara'. More over they fully rely on farming. We can see Coffee beans spread in the courtyard to dry it in the sunlight. Inside also stacks of Kurumulaku. They gave us some grampoo and tapiocca from their field. It was not a rare scene in Idukki District. Most families have their own land it may be with Kappi chedi or elam or kurumulaku.

Gramboo buds and its flower

Chundakka

Chundakka is mostly used to make vattals. Its mostly used in Tamil cuisines.

Vazhuthana

Muringakka

Muringakka from Highrange. A rare scene in town ships. Its 'nadan' variety. We get 'tamil nadu' variety also. Nadan has a special taste than the tamil one.

My earlier post about Muringa

Cool Scene from Kerala

A cool place from Kerala. I think its a rare scene in Kerala, a shot without any high rise buildings and vehicles. This is from Kalayamthani a small village very near to Thodupuzha in Idukki District. We feel refreshed by the sprawling paddy fields and the cool breeze. We can see pineapple plantations on the other side of the paddy field.

So delicious.......

Difference between 'Koozhakkuru' and 'Varikka kuru'.

When I started Blogging I wrote about chakka and it was so easy to get pictures too. My home had two plavu and very familiar with variety of dishes also. But the difference between these two kurus(seeds) was unknown to me.

It was too ripe....looks so sticky...but tastes too good...we made an instant jam with the jack fruit, jaggery, ghee and scraped coconut...

An earlier post about Chakka

Muram and Parambu

'Kotta' making from Idukki. Shot was taken from the car, it didn't came well. It was near the reserve forest area. We can see the stripes of 'eeta' .

Parambu is made of 'eeta'.

Images are from Idukki drying pepper in sunlight.

Big bamboo tray from Kerala. We call this as 'muram'.

Outer part of Muram

Inner part of Muram

Its a traditional sieve used to separate grain from rice(to separate 'umi' from 'ari'). It is made of 'eeta' a plant like bamboo. Its sides are covered with cow dung. Still I remember a special rhythmatic tone created when my ammoomma separate husk from grain (in malayalam its known as 'pattuka'). Its also used for a visual separation of stones from rice.

I have the plastic version with me. But the only use of it is to collect vegetables for cutting purpose. Now we get stone less rice no need of 'pattuka'.

Its also used to dry vattals in sun light, dry chillies and corriander for powdering, dry mango and other delicious items. It was a custom to renew the muram with cowdung for all auspicious occasions like Onam, Vishu and aandu pirappu.

We visited Anchuruli last week .....images of the nature blessed site from Idukki

Neela Amari

Shots from Anchuruli-Idukki District of Kerala

neela Koduveli

Picnic spot at Idukki District

Flowers and Positive Energy

Vishu is coming.......

Flowers may be the most beautiful creation of God. Different varieties, colours, shapes and smell. Its a part of our life. We can't even think of a marriage without Jasmine. According to our culture flowers are very auspicious. Most of the flowers had legendary connection with our gods and goddesses. Vishu the term itself remembers of 'Kanikkonna'. Onam and onapookkalam again reminds the flowers. In Ramayana Rama tells Lakshmana that who offers leaf, flower, fruit or water to the god he will be blessed. Flowers bring positive energy into us. Just imagine the fragrance of Jasmine, gandharajan, Pala poo, Ilanji poo, Coffee flower, pichi flower, Rose flower and many more.

We use lot of flowers for pooja in temples.

An interesting article about positive energy

Nice blog about flowers and positive energy

Appooppan thadi

Since from the childhood its amzing. We played with it. We didn't asked about its origin. Its an apt material to play. Yesterday my child pleaded me to have an appooppan thadi to play. I am also longing to see an appooppan thadi. Yes, in coming days we have to long for everything that we have in childhood.

These pictures are from Idukki. The origin of Appooppan thadi. From here it starts its journey. It passes through small hands for just amazing them.
Sometimes we want to be free as appooppan thadi. Its effortlessness and the pure white colour. Throughout its journey it entertain people. Its an amazing piece of nature, showing us the beauty and charm of freedom.

A famous film in malayalam 'Kakkothi kavile Appooppanthadi' its based on a missing girl. A very interesting film, Revathi as heroing.

Chembaka poo

Previous post about this flower

Flower of Elam

Previous post about Cardamom