The Malayali community of Christchurch celebrated Easter and Vishu in style on 22 April at Middleton Grange School. The gathering brought more than 200 people together for an intimate, warm family celebration.
This is an important event on the calendar for the Kerala community in Christchurch, where members from the Christian and Hindu faiths get together to celebrate Easter, which marks the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and Vishu, which marks the start of a new year.
Organised by Kerala Cultural Forum, the event was sponsored by Impact Outdoors, Solidity Financial Services, 5 River Spice Bazaar, Silver Fern Immigration and SK Finance.
The Keralite community was treated to a series of dazzling cultural performances performed by members of different age groups during the event, in addition to a touching Easter message delivered by Father Joy Thottamkara.
Vishu, which is the traditional New Year and celebrated with great fervour in the Indian state of Kerala, is believed to signal the arrival of good luck and fortune. An important Vishu ritual is Vishukkani which is the first thing Lord Vishnu sees after waking up. A variety of articles representing prosperity are displayed around Lord Krishna, and traditional oil lamps are lit, in the hope that these are the first things that Lord Vishnu will see upon waking up.
Another interesting ritual observed during Vishu is Vishu Kaineetam which is the hansel given to children in the form of coins, preferably gold. The ritual symbolises blessings from the elders and sharing one’s wealth with loved ones.
At the event the Younger members of the community received the Vishu Kaineetam from Ms Uma Varma, the much-celebrated dance teacher.
President of Kerala Cultural Forum, Binu Thomas, welcomed all the guests and Joint Secretary Anitha Chacko gave the vote of thanks.
Syam Dev, the Secretary of the Form told the Indian Weekender, “The much-awaited event was attended by around 250 members from the community and gave them the opportunity to create a stronger bond amongst each other.”
The event concluded with dinner for the community members.
Next up on 4 September, there will be the Onam celebrations, which is the biggest festival in Kerala. The Forum expects around 700 people to attend the event.
Kerala Cultural Forum (KCF) was founded in 2011 to bring together Indians of Kerala origin living in Christchurch. It strives to preserve the Malayali traditions and to offer younger members an opportunity to experience and learn from the rich cultural heritage.
The Forum also provides help and assistance to Keralites planning to come to Christchurch for work, as student or tourist. They can be contacted via their website https://kcfchristchurch.org.nz/ or by emailing secretary@kcfchristchurch.org.nz