My Instant Vishu

The planning for this year’s Vishu started as early as one month back and my husband Deej will come from Trivandrum to my hometown Kannur,the Malabar area where Vishu is a great Festival and we(me ,Mummy,Advaith(Sisters son),Malu( my daughter )and Sangeethetan(my Brother in law)) will move from Bangalore to Kannur.To get the leave in advance is a festival in itself.We need to ask the Manager in Person for the same and log onto Absence Management and get approved.The day 13th April I was so thrilled because we are moving to Kannur.The most lovely thing that is going to entertain us is the malabari food … :P and the gathering of cousins and meeting relatives.

The trip was in Wagon R Primea (My brothers vehicle) and the two tinytots were already excited about the trip(Advaith and Malu).I joined them from Domlur because I had office till half day (Sigh) and was embarrassed about the whole set up of leave management.I thought of skipping in the afternoon, unluckily caught by the Manager(Again Sigh).That did not cause any shaking of my trip excitement but indeed added a fun filled joke for my cousins. We started off happily and Malu and her brother were jumping in and out of from back to front seat and vice versa of the car. 

Soon after Malu fell asleep as the travel in car is for her a swing rocking her to sleep.We were trying get out the City and into the outskirts of Bangalore.To make the matter more funny,the Mysore road has BougainVillas planted beautifully on the divider.and ever curious Mummy eyeing to get some of them,but we didn’t have any object to do the same. She is now more interested in gardening of the plants, fruits and vegetables and she has already made my sister s house a vegetable market for neighbors’.Sangeethetan already promised her to get some of the Bougainvillas .As we were moving more closer to the forest we could find Kani Konna (Cassia fistula) trees in many of the orchards of some people.But as we pass each tree all of them were far away from the road and was full of flowers.

As we were celebrating Vishu and one the main thing that is offered to God during this event is Kani Konna and so we were making every move to get atleast one branch of it.Atlast we found one near the road and stopped the car and all jumped out of the car to grab the same.I couldn’t get out of the car because Malu was snoring on my lap.When Kani konna was brought it was so bountiful and fresh and where so happy because it is a fresh one and what we usually get is dry one from market after giving lot of money for a single twig.

We were moving into the forest and already 8:00 PM night.We reached Bonikoppal and had our dinner.One thing that happened here cannot be forgotten.I dreamt last night of eating “Chilly Chicken” so tastely since I didn’t have the same for so long.I don’t know how that dream came to my mind.Luckily for dinner ,I went to wash my hands and when I came to the seat I could see a plateful of “Chilly Chicken”…yuppie..Sometimes Dreams come true is a truth and now it came in the form of a food as if I am a Bheeman,Hey God didn’t find any other way to make me happy…yup.Anyway I liked it and felt very funny.Infact most of my silly dreams come true and serious one never turn up.(Again Sigh).

We moved towards the forest (Kootupuzha)and it was already dark. We reached the border between Kerala and Karnataka which was bridge joining the two. When we reached Kerala we could see men wearing Mundu and Lungi to make out that they were typical mallus.We traversed Iritty,Mattanur,koothuparamaba and another 1 hour towards chala my hometown.My grandma and grand maman were shifted to a new “old tharavad” because our house was being rebuild into a magnificient house by my Maman.

We had lots of fun at home. I couldn’t forget my grandmother’s neighbor because for each and everything my grandma will run towards them. So on 14th April I woke up at 3.00 AM in the morning for preparing the Vishu Kani and for going to chala temple (Long time …Nostalgic).My sister scolding me at 5:00 AM in the morning for not guiding her to the “Vilaku” to see the kani and rather panicked as she saw the watermelon instead of the mirror.This time she escaped from getting everlasting wishes she used to get every festivals “Ningalku ellavarkum ente vishu ashamasakal..Vishwastha sthapanam ATLAS JEWELLERY etc etc” .

I cannot forget that day because it was so funny, My grandma who woke up with us and calling her neighbor at 3.00 AM to check out what color we should see for Kani.Embarrased neighbors’ didn’t even wake up and we were making fun of grand ma the whole trip for such a damn thought and act. Even during Vishu the main culinary was mutton, crabs, prawns and “kallummakai”(I don’t know its English to be frank ) and it was delicious and relishing. And crackers were a main attraction and my grandma again calling her neighbor to crack crackers…OMG she s mad I guess and the whole day it was a funny event for us. Lot of mangoes were an attraction and it was Mambazhakalam and was nostalgic.We went to our cousin’s house and finished all the food …Here too there was specially prepared “Chilly chicken” the funniest thing to happen. God s crazy to fulfill such wishes.

Not forgetting to go to Kalyan Silks ,the kannur s newly started silk saree collections with brand ambassador Raju Dear(Prithviraj ahem.. ahem…)smiling from all over the building .I was packing all the things and our trip was coming to an end and again sighing…with sweet memories to hold on…Way back we plucked the bougainvillas from Mysore Road, collected all mangaoes ,unniappams,uppilitta mangas,achars from home...