Ordering for a temple utsavam
What a committee should decide before calling us, and what we will ask.
Kambithiri and the Vishu kani
Why Kerala lights sparklers after the kani, and how to plan the morning.
On Vishu morning the eldest in the house lights the nilavilakku, and the family see the kani one by one with their eyes covered until they reach it: the uruli of rice, the kani vellari, the konna flowers, the gold, the mirror. After the kani and the kaineettam, the children go outside, and the first kambithiri of the year is lit.
That order matters to many families, and it shapes what we pack. Kambithiri and small mathappu come first, while the dew is still on the courtyard. Ola padakkam follow, for those who keep the custom. Rockets and sky shots wait for Vishu eve or the evening after.
Plan for about four boxes of kambithiri per child, and one box of mathappu for every two children. Keep a bucket of water by the steps for the used wires.
And keep the kani lamp well away from where the crackers are kept. The nilavilakku and a box of kambithiri should never share a table.
