The Vishu celebrations began in the early afternoon this year with Amma arriving as radiant as the life-giving sun at full zenith. She walked majestically toward the beautiful display of the ‘Vishukanni’ flanked on each side by an array of tree and plant saplings. Amma conveyed her message shining with the pure love for her children.
She spoke about the beauty of Kerala’s new year tradition as a colourful memory in our minds. Every child remembers being awakened by their mother and led with eyes closed through the dark house to the amazing sight of the Vishukanni with its bounty of fruits and a resplendent Sri Krishna lit by a lamp with five wicks.
Amma expressed that this celebration of Spring represents how everything we receive should be first offered to God. She said how the first thing we see when we wake up should inspire us throughout the day.
She also shared how our first waking thoughts determine the outcome of the day. In this way, we can see Vishu as the first day of the year which determines how the rest of the year will unfold.
Amma then spontaneously led a joyful rendition of the bhajan Rarari Rararika, a call to the Universal Mother to protect Her creation:
Devi has appeared in the world like the rising sun in all its brilliance.
Come, all of you, run to Her and praise Her…
Let her dance with us in overflowing love, knowing our hearts and removing all our sorrows.
With an expression of deep love for Amma, the devotees all sang and clapped with each other—sanyasis with householders, local families with travellers from across the world—all united as one family.
As part of the festivities, representatives of AYUDH, our youth wing, received tree saplings for distribution under the ‘Vishuthaineettam’ project. This year’s theme was “Friendship Plants, Smiling Flowers” (Changathichedikal Punchirippookkal).
Alongside Amma, Dr. Jitu Lal (J.L.) Meena, Joint director at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Govt of India, and Manoj Kumar Sonthalia, Chairman and Managing director of The New Indian Express Group, presented the ashram children and youth with saplings and seedballs—each one beaming with excitement as they received their precious gift.
Imbibing Amma’s vision to transform this earth into a paradise, the Vishuthaineettam project initiates the planting of hundreds of thousands of tree saplings across various parts of India every year under the leadership of AYUDH members.
With this year’s theme, AYUDH called upon its members to maintain the soil’s natural qualities by planting trees and cultivating vegetable gardens. The saplings are distributed in 100% organic pots, completely avoiding the use of plastic.
The youth explained the natural habitat and ecosystem of the forests must be preserved for the peaceful coexistence of humanity. AYUDH actively participates in these efforts by planting saplings and disseminating seed balls. For this year, AYUDH passionately shared the following messages:
- This Vishu, let us include a tree sapling in the traditional Vishu Kani arrangement and gift a sapling alongside the customary Vishukkaineettam.
- Let us plant native forest trees in the wild, and fruit-bearing and shade-giving trees in our neighborhoods. We should also strive to grow our own vegetables.
- Let us gift these ‘Vishuthaineettams’ to friends, relatives, and neighbors. Let us plant, water, and nurture them, and become friends with these plants. Nurturing plants and trees not only protects nature but also strengthens our mental well-being—this is the core message of the project.
With dedication, the AYUDH members added that by sustaining such activities in the coming years, they are moving steadily closer to realising Amma’s vision of restoring peace to Mother Nature. Their actions beautifully represent her teaching that each generation should care for Nature and bestow it to the next generation for safekeeping.
In the grace and beauty of ancient tradition, worship of the Vishu Kani had been performed at dawn in Amritapuri. Swami Turyamritananda Puri, one of Amma’s most senior disciples, elegantly led the puja in the Main Hall, surrounded by the young saplings awaiting their distribution by Amma.
Other places in the Ashram also had their own enchanting ensembles of Vishu’s symbolic mirrors, grains, money, and oil lamps. In the Kali Temple, a vast rainbow of fruits surrounded Amma’s photo with idols of Sri Krishna. At the Kalari, brilliant yellow Kani Konna flowers were strung around the house where Amma was born. Many came together to greet the day in this auspicious manner.
The night culminated with transcendent Bharatnatyam performances by the Ashram children. Their subtle and precise movements brought a soul-stirring power to the art form’s origins as a millenia-old temple dance. Their innocent faces illuminated each rhythm, each breath with an ancient connection to the Divine that beats within all of creation.
Amma’s Vishu Message
Vishu is a festival of joy that spreads happiness to everyone, much like the Kaṇikkonna Tree in full bloom. Each Vishu arrives with a message of prosperity and a reminder to live in harmony with Nature.
The kaṇi carries a deep message. It reminds us to live in harmony with Nature, to follow a healthy way of life, to nurture a family bound by love and unity, and to begin each day with a remembrance of the divine.
Another important message that Vishu gives is to love Nature. Human beings are a part of Nature. We are deeply connected to all living beings—birds, trees, animals, and every form of life. Only when our lives move in harmony with theirs can we lead a truly healthy and balanced existence.
Moreover, every creature in Nature exists in mutual dependence. Human life itself is possible because Nature—plants, trees and animals—continue to exist. Without them, there is neither human life nor human civilisation. When any species becomes extinct, the consequences of that loss will ultimately be borne by us ourselves.
Vishu is a symbol of mutual love, trust, sharing, unity and the connection between the older and younger generations. It is not merely a ritual or a festival. It also carries a profound life message that each of us must practice in our daily lives.
Vishu signifies the auspicious beginning of a radiant life. Even in moments when everything around us seems dark, it conveys the message of the mind’s strength and expansiveness to see the light. May my children be able to begin that journey right here, right now.
Let us cultivate love and harmony with Nature and all living beings, restoring ecological balance and embracing actions that foster both material and spiritual growth.
