Nyepi: The Balinese Day of Silence
‘Nyepi‘ day, the Icaka New Year, the day of absolute silence, no activity is done, no amusement is held, no fire is lit along the day & night. The day of fasting & self-introspecting, the entire island is just like being deserted during the day.
For people not familiar with the ceremonial schedule in Bali, it is extremely complex.
Balinese priests consult 2 calenders, the saka and the wuku. The saka calendar operates on the Hindu lunar cycle that is somewhat similar to the western calendar with 12 months. The preists highlight phases of the moon as being auspicious times. The wuku calendar has no months but is a year of 210 days divided into weeks, 10 of which have from 1 to 10 days and run simultaneously! Each day has a name, thus in the 1 day week every day is called luang.
On Nyepi Day, the whole island shuts down, no walking on the beach, no going out for a bite, no flights in or out. For those who have never experienced Nyepi it is a purification for the whole island. In Balinese Hinduism local temples and villages are purified from time to time, the island once a year and dates to be arranged. In 2006 Nyepi fell on March 30th.
Before Nyepi Day objects from temples are ritually cleansed in streams and the ocean. Specially made offerings are placed at crossroads to lure evil spirits out into the open. The reason for this, is to flush hem out and chase them away with ‘ogah ogahs’, the large Freddie Kruger-like creations that every village makes.
The night before Nyepi, called Ngrepuk, is like a festival, with locals, expats and tourists out on the streets, watching the ogoh ogoh. Balinese people have always been open to incorporating new ideas into their relgion / culture, and the 21st Century has had an influence on the ogoh ogoh’s. One time I saw a one doing a wheelie on a Vespa. The ogoh ogoh’s are carried on bamboo platforms by young guys, who often are a little tipsy after drinking arak. At streetside a panel of banjar judges, give points to the best ogoh ogoh. The platform bearers will edge towards one side of the street, and tilt the platform. In Kuta it can get roudy so watch out if a platform is heading your way.
Best places to watch ogoh ogoh:
•Bemo corner in Kuta.
•Jl. Seminyak at Dhyana Pura in Semnyak.
•Puputan Square in Denpasar.
When the ogoh ogoh’s have departed, the streets clear quite fast. A good place to stock up on supplies is Bintang supermarket in Seminyak, which stays open late, 10pm or later.
The ogoh ogoh’s scare the evil spirits away from Bali, but they return several hours later looking for human activity. All lights, machines, radios must be turned off and no one is allowed out. The pecalang or religious traffic cops, will reprimand anyone who ventures out. The quiet period lasts from around 5am to 5am the next day, with the airport completely closed to traffic.
What does this mean for visitors? Well if you are in a resort you will have access to the facilities, but will have to quieten down a bit. Guest house travelers will have to stay in their guest house, no food places will be open.
One year I taped towels over my windows and cooked for once. It wasn’t bad but if you’ve done it once you probably wouldn’t get much out of it again. I think it would be more interesting being in a local household observing their interactions. Strictly speaking the Balinese are not supposed to talk or eat. The evil spirits will depart and leave Bali alone for another year when they are satisfied, at dawn the day after Nyepi.
In the past, Hard Rock Hotel offered a ‘Nyepi Package’ with the tagline ‘celebrate the silence.’
What to do on Nyepi for tourists:
•1. Go to Lombok for a couple of days
•2. Stay in a resort, where services continue
•3. Stay with an expat who has enough land that you can party
•4. Get invited to a Balinese household and enjoy a traditional experience
•5. Lock yourself in your room with a bottle of arak and someone you like.
I usually go for a long walk the night before and stock up on food and drinks. In 2007, Nyepi will be on March 20th.