Vishu

Vishu is a Hindu festival celebrated in the Indian state of Kerala and in the Mangalore and Udupi districts of Karnataka, usually in the second week of April in the Gregorian calendar. It marks the new year in accordance with Kolla Varsham the Malayalam calendar. This occasion signifies the sun's transit into the Meda Raasi (first zodiac sign) according to Indian astrological calculations, and represents the vernal equinox. "Vishu" in Sanskrit means "equal".