Vishukanni.

This about this special 'Vishukanni' that I saw today, and also last year. :)
For those who don't know what Vishu is & the concept of 'Vishukanni' - WikiMan to the rescue!

From the page:
"The festival is marked with offerings to the divine called Vishukkani. The offerings consist of a ritual arrangement in the puja room of auspicious articles like raw rice, fresh linen, golden cucumber, betel leaves, arecanut, metal mirror, the yellow flowers konna (Cassia fistula), and a holy text and coins, in a bell metal vessel called uruli. A lighted bell metal lamp called nilavilakku is also placed alongside. This arrangement is completed the previous night. On the day of Vishu, the custom is to wake up at dawn and go to the puja room with the eyes closed so that the Vishukkani is the first thing one sees. Since the occasion marks the beginning of Malayalam New Year, it is also considered auspicious to read verses from Hindu Holy book Ramayanam after seeing the "Vishukkani". It is also believed by some that the page of the Ramayanam to which you open up will have a bearing on your life in the coming year."

I do doubt a bit about the entire explanation by Wikiman, still nevertheless the explanation of Vishukanni IS correct.

The one I witnessed it something different. The difference bears on my views on religion, perspective on what means 'will have a bearing on your life in the coming year' :D...

This might sound silly, but your views on this take a back seat! So read on now... this is my kind of Vishukanni:

A quick bike ride in the wee hours, early in the morning... needn't be long distance. It just has to have all the elements of a bike-ride! Speed, hi-revs, sharp corners with that heavy braking, a short, very short break before returning home. Where people see the 'nillavilaku', the holy books, n everything that makes up the vishukanni, making them feel that the year ahead is going to be good n blessed, to me - the bike, the ride, the wind-in-the-face, the chilling temperatures cuz of the speed, the speed itself, the music from the engine n the happiness felt on the return is what makes the moment, the day, the year- special.

Oh, I really don't mind making every early morning stints like this... just the difficulty in waking up. :D :P!

So why did I wake up early today - to drop a friend at the airport. He had to read the airport at 5.15AM at the latest... but things did go as planned - we could only leave home @ 5.12. Obviously - I don't think 12.5km in 3 mins is practically possible - thats like - 250kmph from the word go. NOT even a ferrari can do it. Please - b'lore roads and the unreliable traffic in the morning hours which means - no rules followed by others - even if u keep em all. So it would not be possible before being run over by a truck running on ur side of the road with its headlights off. So. :P

I did that distance in 9 mins. A more reasonable speed. near an average 85kmph (I am not doing the exact math here.) But thats good for a pulsar 150 and our roads and considering that it was, really, a cautious ride with proper slow-downs at major junctions and also taking care of not going through the gutters and all.

The return was also the same, maybe a slightly more than 9 mins. But not touching 10.

Last year, we went on such a trip to marathalli, @ 2AM in the morning(or was it 1.50AM.. not sure).

There is something really vindicating in the ride. A feeling of freeing our minds of troubles. Forgetting the problems of the past, getting ready for a new day, a new year (Our way of showing gratitude to the year past, and ushering in the new year.). We mark this is a special occasion just cuz we are all kerala and we are not particularly religious enough to keep any holy books, we found our own way to celebrate it. (No offense meant..).

Just that today, it was just me n my friend, last year we were 3 - those 2 are home now. So happy vishu to 'em and all who are reading this! :D

(Had to write this before heading for office, apologies for bad grammar, spelling mistakes, slight level of incoherence in ideas, and not elaborating further...)!

:D - clicked this after reaching back:

(No time to get this photoshop-ed!). The Vishukanni, the Verses are played from engine's music, the divine light is what you feel when ride to your heart's content.

Happy Vishu to all again!