Nyepi: Balinese New Year – A Time Of Quiet
In Bali, the old year is sent off with a bang and the new year is ushered in with hardly a whisper. According to the Balinese saka calendar, the Lunar New Year occurs on the first new moon which falls after mid-March. However, actual preparations for the festival start at least three days prior to the New Year. Statues of various deities are removed from their temples and are taken to rivers where they are washed and cleaned, before they are returned back to their respective temples. The day before the New Year, which is known as Tawur Agung Kesanga, is a flurry of activity. Also known as the ‘Day of Great Sacrifices’, it is a time when tourists will get a chance to witness many ceremonies and processions.
On this day, locals garbed in traditional outfits gather at town squares in the evening to play music and offer flowers and food to the ogoh-ogoh (ogoh-ogoh are giant monster dolls, complete with hideous faces and horrific fingers). This is followed by ngrupuk, a ceremonial procession where the monster dolls are carried on bamboo poles and paraded through the streets to frighten away evil spirits. The procession is accompanied by gamelan music. Finally the ogoh-ogoh dolls are burnt in a huge bonfire, in a symbolic gesture banishing evil spirits from the forthcoming year.
The New Year day itself, which the locals call Nyepi, is a day of quiet and introspection. The ‘Day of Silence’ as it is known, stands in stark contrast to the night that precedes it. The period of silence and inactivity lasts twenty four hours starting from sunrise. It is believed that evil spirits can be tricked into believing that the island is uninhabited, and so they would leave it alone. All restaurants, bars and shops close down on this day, and people are not allowed to venture outside. Buildings have to be blacked out at night, and even the airport is shut down. Only emergency services are exempt.
The peace and quiet will give many tourists some time to catch up on their sleep at their Bali Resort. Travellers looking for a luxury Bali Resorts should try out the Anantara Seminyak Bali, which is undoubtedly one of the best places to stay on the island.
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