WATCH and experience fabulous festivity on the Island of Bali this March as the Hindu community celebrates Nyepi or Day of Silence. The entire island will come to standstill around the clock.
Right on March 9, they will celebrate the Caka New Year 1938 started with Pengerupukan on March 8 where all the customary villages perform animal sacrifice (tawur) philosophically meaning to harmonize microcosm and macrocosm. In the afternoon the ritual, customary youth clubs with children of school age do cultural attraction in the form of ogoh-ogoh or papier mâché demon parade around their respective village.
From sunrise on March 9 to next sunrise, the island will be in total silence because people do no activities (amati karya), enjoy no entertainment (amati lelanguan), light no fire or lamp (amati geni) and go nowhere (amati lelungaan). People worship, make contemplation and evaluation on what they have done in the past and improve it in the future. No traffic roams around the roads throughout the island. To make sure this tradition runs properly, it is secured by pecalang or customary guards.
Especially for tourism sector, hotels or villas for instance, are usually recommended to minimize outdoor activities and the use of lamps in order to support the solemnity of the celebration.
On the following day, the celebration is resumed with Ngembak Geni. People do visit to close families and relatives to mutually apologize and maintain social relationship. On this day, the Banjar Kaja Sesetan in South Denpasar implements a unique tradition, namely Omed-omedan or the kissing ritual. It has been implemented through generations. Ultimately, series of the celebration comes to an end. (allabali)
