Families reach temple for sacred first sight of day on Vishu

Indore: The Malayalee community in Indore gathered at Shri Ayyappa & Ganesh temple in the early morning to mark Vishu, carrying forward customs that spoke of renewal, prosperity and quiet devotion.Families arrived before sunrise for Vishu Kani darshan, where the first sight of the day held deep ritual meaning. Priests from Kerala conducted the pujas in traditional manner with chants and offerings following established temple practices. Vishu marks the Malayalam New Year and harvest festival and Vishu Kani is the sacred first sight of the day arranged with auspicious items such as rice, coconut, cucumber, fruits, betel leaves, gold, coins, yellow flowers (kani konna) and a lit lamp symbolising prosperity and a hopeful beginning.The Vishu observance also marked the conclusion of the temple's 34th Prana Pratishtha anniversary celebrations, which began on April 8 with ceremonial flag hoisting. Over eight days, the temple maintained the cadence of Kerala's ritual traditions, with daily pujas and evening cultural programmes, including Sopana Sangeetham.Devotees offered nirapara during the festival, symbolising abundance and well-being, while the temple saw steady participation throughout. "The Prana Pratishtha anniversary and Vishu celebrations were conducted in keeping with our traditional practices, with wholehearted participation from devotees. It is encouraging to see the community come together each year to preserve these customs," Lord Ayyappa Charitable Trust and Temple president SM Pillai said.The celebrations concluded with Aarattu (scared bath) ritual in the evening. The festival witnessed strong participation with devotees coming together to uphold tradition and community spirit, Pillai said.