Contrary to several other cultures all around the world who celebrate the New Year with dynamic and sparkling festivities, the crowning point of the Balinese New Year 6 day celebration is a day dedicated to complete silence.
The Saka New Year here is also known as the Bali day of silence. It’s ultimately the quietest day of the
year – all of the island’s inhabitants abide by a set of local rules that bring routine activities to a complete halt. Roads all over Bali are void of any traffic and nobody steps outside of their home premises.
Hotels are asked to cover their windows, all shops are closed, all! No light or candle will be lit in any Balinese home, no cars on the road, no motorbikes, no people.
It’s indeed a special experience, not only for the Balinese but also for all the visitors and tourists that are on Bali during Nyepi Day. If you are in Bali during Nyepi make sure you do not plan any traveling or outside activities.
Nyepi is the most important and sacred Hindu holiday in Bali and is a general public holiday in the rest of Indonesia. The famous ogoh-ogoh parades, where Balinese men (and boys) carry scary creatures of respectable sizes through the streets accompanied by noise and gamelan music is happening on “Nyepi Eve”, the evening of the second day after New Year.
Tourists and visitors are welcome to watch the parades, take pictures, and witness this unique spectacle. Some of these ogoh-ogohs are actually burnt after the parade.
On the actual day of Nyepi (3rd day of the 6-day festival) the entire Island is “closed”. The roads are off limit to all types of motorized vehicles and people on foot! The airport is closed. All groceries, clothes, and other types of shops are closed. For tourists and Balinese. Restaurants are closed.
The Beach is prohibited. Basically anything other than being indoors is restricted. While indoors the inhabitants must ensure that all audio devices are turned down to a minimum volume.
As the day draws to an end and the sun sets, the curtains need to be drawn shut, with minimum light being used in ones living quarter. If an airplane was to fly over Bali, the Island would not be seen. To ensure that all the rules are obeyed local watchmen known as Pecalang (Nyepi Police) are deployed all over the Island.
The day of silence marks the turn of the Saka calendar of western Indian origin. It’s one of the many calendars assimilated by Indonesia’s diverse cultures.
The Saka is also among 2 calendars jointly used in Bali. It follows a lunar sequence and is 78 years behind the Gregorian calendar. Nyepi follows right after a new moon, typically in March.
This day is strictly reserved for self-reflection anything that might interfere with that purpose is strictly prohibited. The inner and outer world is expected to be clean and everything starts anew, with Man showing his symbolic control over himself and the “force” of the World, hence the mandatory religious control.
Nyepi expects a day of absolute silence, based on the four precepts of Catur Brata:
Amati Geni: No fire or light, including no electricity. Prohibition of satisfying pleasurable human appetites.
Amati Karya: No form of physical working other than that which is dedicated to spiritual cleansing and renewal.
Amati Lelunganan: No movement or traveling.
Amati Lelanguan: Fasting and no revelry/self-entertainment or general merrymaking.
Highlight rituals essentially start 3 days before Nyepi, with colorful processions known as the Melasti pilgrimages. Pilgrims from different village temples all over Bali convey heirlooms on long walks towards the coastlines for elaborate purification ceremonies.
It’s one of the best times to photograph an iconic Balinese procession, with parasols, banners and small effigies offering a colorful spectacle.
On Saka New Year’s every Balinese household starts the evening with blessings at the family temple and continues with a ritual called the pengrupukan, where each member participates in
‘chasing away’ malevolent forces (bhuta kala) from their compounds.
Pots and pans or any other loud instruments are struck repeatedly together with a fiery bamboo torch. These ‘spirits’ are later manifested as the ogoh-ogoh to be paraded in the streets.
As the street parades ensue, bamboo cannons and occasional firecrackers fill the air with din, flames, and smoke. The Nyepi Eve parade usuall
y s
tarts at 7 pm local time.
On Nyepi Day, complete calm enshrouds the island. The Balinese Hindus follow a ritual called the Catur Brata Penyepian, roughly ‘The 4 Nyepi Prohibitions’: amati geni (no fire), amati lelungan (no travel), amati karya (no activity), and amati lelanguan (no entertainment).
Some consider it a time for total relaxation and contemplation. For others, a chance for Mother Nature to ‘reboot’ herself after 364 days of bearing human activity.
No lights are turned on at night – total darkness and seclusion go along with this new moon island-wide – for 24 hours straight until 6 am the following day.
No motorized vehicles are allowed on the streets, except ambulances and police patrols for emergencies. As a hotel guest, you’re confined to your hotel premises, but free to continue to enjoy the hotel facilities as usual. Traditional community watch patrols or pecalang enforce the rules of Nyepi, patrolling the streets by day and night in shifts.
On the day after Nyepi, known as ngembak geni, you can head down to the v
illage of Sesetan in southern Denpasar for the omed-omedan, roughly the ‘festival of smooches’. This is a much-localized festivity, pertaining only to Sesetan’s Banjar Kaja community.
Youths take to the street as water is splashed and sprayed by villagers – the highlight is 2 throngs of boys and girls who engage in a tug-of-war-like scene as the whole village and visitors cheer on. Successive pairs in the middle are pushed to a smooch with each push and shove.
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