SATSANGAMA

Vishu Celebrations 2013

Vishu celebrations for CE 2013 or Kolla Varsham 1188 of the Malayalam calendar was celebrated by SATSANGAMA at SKNS PMC Vivekananda School, Thulasingham Street, Perambur on Sunday 21st April 2013. SATSANGAMA is a Malayalee Hindu cultural organization with no caste affiliation or orientation.

Vishu is the harvest festival of Kerala observed when the sun enters into Sidereal Aries, Medam month (April-May) of the Malayalam almanac. Vishu marks the beginning of the spring season.

The Vishu celebrations of SATSANGAMA started off at 5:30 PM with the lighting of the traditional Kerala oil lamps, Nilavilakku. The most important event in Vishu is of course the Vishukkani. The auspicious Vishukkani arrangement consisted of articles like raw rice, fresh lemon, ripe golden cucumber, betel leaves, areca nut, polished metal mirror, yellow flowers Konna (Cassia fistula), Sri Krishna Vigraham, Bhagavat Gita and coins, in a bell metal vessel called Uruli.

After divine invocations by children, the Treasurer of SATSANGAMA Shri P. Jayan warmly welcomed the gathering. Children of the Members displayed their talents through their captivating music and dance programmes. The Vishu tradition of elder relatives giving Vishu Kaineetam was observed in all solemnity. The Venerable Prakashan Namboothiri, the Melshanti of Aiyappa Temple, Perambur blessed the audience with Vishu Kaineetams.

Shri K.M.P Damodaran Namboothiri rendered the Presidential Address. The Chief Guest on this occasion was Shri K. Jawahar, the South Chennai Sharirik Pramukh of RSS. Dignitaries on the stage, Dr G. Vijayalakshmi, Shri T.K Unnikrishnan of the SNDP and Shri K.P Gopinathan Pillai, the Chief Editor of Nair Today offered their hearty felicitations. The Keynote address was by the popular and charismatic Smt. Shobha Surendran, the Kerala State President of the Mahila Morcha of the BJP. Smt. Shobha Surendran’s scintillating and inspiring speech left the audience spell-bound. After the meeting concluded, many people were seen profusely thanking the organisers for having invited this smart, young and dynamic lady activist from Kerala to speak to them. Smt. Shobha Surendran, who had kindly consented to address the SATSANGAMA in the midst of her hectic schedule, left for Thiruvananthapuram immediately after the meeting. Shri Girish K. Nair, the energetic Secretary of Chennai Broadway NSS Karayogam, offered the vote of thanks.

With this auspicious start of the Astronomical year the Chennai based SATSANGAMA extends warm greetings and good wishes of peace, prosperity and happiness to the society at large.