The heart of the festival is the preparation of the 'Vishukani' (the lucky sight or gift). The older custom of preparing the kani is described below. The women of the family take a large dish made of bell-metal (uruli), arrange in it a grantha (palm-leaf manuscript), portraits of different deities, a gold ornament, a new cloth, some flowers from the konna tree (cassia fistula), some coins in a silver cup, a split coconut, a cucumber, some mangoes, a jack-fruit etc. On either side of the dish are two burning lamps with a chair facing it. After these are set in the living room of the house, family members are taken one by one with their eyes blindfolded or closed shut. When they are in the living room, the blindfolds are removed so that they may view the vishu kani. The belief among the people, is that by seeing 'vishukkani', they will have ensured a prosperous year. The father (Karanavan) of the family gives 'vishukkaineettam'- gifts of money- to children, servants, and tenants. Both the children and the adults explode crackers to ward off evil spirits during vishu. In the Vishu day, the darkness is removed by the full glow of lighted bell metal lamps.

During the rule of the rajas, state officials used to pay respects to the reigning king to wish him a Happy New Year, to offer gifts, and receive presents from him. The day is marked by a grand feast at home for all the members of the family and dependents.