Ways To Make Your Home Special For VISHU

Decor

oi-Anwesha

By Anwesha Barari

Monday, April 9, 2012, 16:25

Vishu, Malyalis new year is celebrated on 14th April every year. Tradition demands that we re-work our houses to welcome the new year. But, as we move to big cities and become consumed with work pressure, it gets difficult to decorate your house on the festival with the same vigour. However, these home decorating ideas will give the busy Malyali, a new, more basic set of essentials to celebrate this Indian harvest festival.

To know the shortcut ways for celebrating Vishu traditionally, you can implement these ideas.

Quick But Traditional Home Decorating Ideas For Vishu:

1. Vishu Kani: The Vishu Kani is the most important item for decorating your house. It is a plate full of all auspicious things. This is the first thing you have to see on the morning of the new year. So, it is usually prepared before sunrise. To set up the Vishu Kani, you need a Uruli, a metal plate with raised edges. Uruli contains all the seasonal fruits such as jack fruit and mangoes. A white kasavu pudava or a typical gold bordered Kerala fabric is also placed in this plate. There are other symbols of good luck like gold coins or Aranmula valkannadi which are used in sharing the space on the Kani plate.

2. The Preserver Of The Earth: The celebrations for Vishu starts by paying respect to the preserver of this Universe, Lord Vishnu. The idol of Lord Vishnu is preached on this festival. The Vishu kani will be placed in front of the idol. You can have a metallic or earthen idol for this purpose.

3. Flowers Of Fortune: Flowers are important when it comes to festival decoration in India. You cannot conduct the festivities for a new year without fresh flowers. The special flower for Vishu is Kanikonna. These vibrant yellow flowers are supposed to adorn the idol of Lord Vishnu on this special day.

4. Going Gold And Yellow: The colour gold or rather, golden yellow is the special shade of this Indian harvest festival. Yellow is the colour of mangoes, jackfruit (interiors), kanikonna flowers and most importantly colour of ripe crops that are ready for harvesting. You can add special touches of golden yellow in your house. For example, you can drape yellow curtains and bedspreads for the occasion.

5. Your Special Touches: Apart from traditional ideas, you can go creative and try some different home decorating ideas. You can add your personal touch to Vishu with your special pookalams (flower petal floor designs) or float a multitude of yellow flowers in a glass dish. It is customary to light brass lamps with oil in the pooja room. But, you can also light them at the entrance of your house to welcome your guests and moreover, the good fortune.