Kerala's New Year falls on the first day of the Malayalam month of Medam, usually 14 April. Vishu is a festival of renewal, celebrated across the state with rituals, feasting, and fireworks.
The central ritual is Vishukkani. The night before, the eldest member of the household arranges auspicious items in a bell-metal vessel called an uruli: rice, golden cucumber, betel leaves, arecanut, coins, fresh linen, yellow konna flowers, and a holy text. A nilavilakku lamp is lit beside it. On Vishu morning, family members are led to the arrangement with eyes closed, so it is the first thing they see -- believed to set the tone for the year ahead.
After the viewing, elders give kaineettam, a token gift of money, to younger family members. Temples hold special pujas, and the golden blossoms of the cassia fistula tree (kanikkonna) are everywhere -- they are considered the most auspicious flower of the day.
According to legend, the Kollam era began when Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu, threw his battle axe into the Arabian Sea and the land of Kerala rose from the waters.