A playful Krishna leaning over Jesus’ shoulder and covering his eyes, a calligraphic Vishu in Malayalam with the image of the cross subtly blended into it, a turning cube with greetings for Vishu and Easter on its sides, and the crown of thorns on Jesus’ head making way for a crown of golden laburnum... It is techno-secularism, if there could be something like that, at its best, as the Malayali celebrated Vishu and Easter (in advance) on Friday.
There were also the usual clichéd messages and familiar images of the golden laburnum in full bloom. Videos showed lamps lighting up the ‘Kani’, the golden ensemble with strong links to the land’s farming tradition, the viewing of which traditionally marked the beginning of the day and, perhaps farming year, of Malayali society.
The Malayali collective memory is that of the a mild nip in the air and the earth a little moist from the previous evening’s summer rain; of little ones, with their eyes tightly shut, being led to the prayer room to open their eyes to the rich and colourful ensemble, brightly lit up by the one oil lamp.
This time, though, many Malayalis never had to move out of their beds to see the Kani. All that was called for was a WhatsApp download.
The GIFs had them all arranged to perfection, wedding artistry to technology: a mix of paddy and rice; kani vellari (golden cucumber); small jackfruit; mangoes; the kadali plantain; a fresh clothe; one of the scriptures; coins; kajal; kunkum, all placed in an uruli (brass vessel), and an image of Krishna. The virtual prayer rooms opened to the accompaniment of flute or veena, revealing the auspicious kani lit up by a small lamp.
As Vishu coincides with the holy week of crucifixion and resurrection, many tech-savvy Malayalis probably saw a case for lacing it up with a little secularism, to remind Malayalis everywhere about the highly integrated lives that they have led for centuries.
