Vishu is Keralites’ New Year and thus it occupies a unique position in their lives. This festival has nothing to do with religion, still it is observed with religious solemnity. The first day of the first month in Malayalam Calendar, Medam is the unchangeable day of Vishu, where as all other festivals in Kerala are determined according to the lunar asterisms on which they fall. This day on which Vishu falls is the astronomical New Year and is celebrated as such.

While Keralites celebrate the festival in the most traditional way in Kerala with the auspicious sight or ‘Kani’ (anomen) at the most auspicious time on the morning of the festival day, in Prasanthi Nilayam thousands of devotees flock from Kerala have their ‘Kani’ in the form of darshan of their Beloved Lord Incarnate Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. The keeping of ‘Kani’ is based on the strong belief of the Keralites that the nature of the object one sees first in the morning of Vishu Day would determine the fortune for the entire year. This is followed by giving of handsel (Kaineetam). The eldest member of the family would give money to junior members and they in turn give such handsel to their juniors, relatives etc. After this the children begin to fire crackers. In the morning all take bath and put on their forehead vibhuti and chandanam (sandal paste) and go to the nearest temple for worship. This will be followed by a grand feast with number of special items.

Thousands of Keralites flock to Trayee Brindavan in Bangalore to celebrate their New Year in the Divine Presence. Bhagawan walks into devoted crowd with the accompaniment of Talapoli and Nadaswaram to bless them to the merriment of their love laden hearts. Various Cultural Programmes are held by devotees and Balvikas children from different parts of the state. Bhagawan delivers His Divine discourse in the end dwelling upon the inner significance of the festivity. For the last couple of years the Sathya Sai Seva Organisation is bringing selected Youth from different part of the state for Sadhana Camp in the Divine Presence. Bhagawan profusely blessed the Youth with Divine guidance and benediction.

The Legend of Vishu Kani
The Vishu Kani or the auspicious sight is the arrangement of 'konna pua', a yellow laburnum flower, fruits like jackfruit and mangoes, vegetables like gourds and snake gourds, ornaments made of gold, bell metal mirror with a white, pleated cloth tied to it's handle (supposedly used by Goddess Parvati), the traditional bronze vessal 'Uruli' filled with rice, items used for daily worship (asthamangalam), clothes with pure gold Sari, a split coconut, some coins in a silver cup, some water in 'od ', a traditional vessal and a 'grantha', which is a palm leaf manuscript or the Bhagwat Gita.

The Vishukani is prepared by the oldest member of the family the night before Vishu and the family members supposed to view it only after midnight. The kani is place in front of an image of Lord Vishnu and diyas are lit up (these are usually normal lamps but in some cases they use lamps made of coconut halves). Early in the morning of the festival, the oldest member of the family, after having viewed the kani and finished her puja, blindfolds each member of the family and sets them in front of the display. The idea being, that all the members of the family look at the Vishukani the first thing in the morning. They first look at the image, then the yellow light of the diyas and the Kani in the yellow vessals. So the dominant colour of the festival is yellow. The Malayalees believe that the viewing of this display in the festival day ensures good fortune through out the coming year. The Vishukani ritual is observed in the expectation of plenty in the New Year.