Silent Days and Silent Nights
Once every year, Hindus in Bali celebrate a holy day referred to as Nyepi. The word Nyepi comes from the phrase Sepi or Sipeng, meaning silent or dead moon, This holy day is to celebrate the arriving of new Caka year which this year of 2014 is 1936 Caka year which falls on March, 31st. 2012.
Nyepi - Bali’s Day of Absolute Silence falls on Monday, March 31st, 2014. Here’s Our Guide on What to Expect
Bali’s magical and highly spiritual day of absolute silence – Hari Raya Nyepi falls on Monday , March 31st, 2014 marking the first day of the Bali Hindu New Year of Caka 1936.
Unique in all the world, Nyepi Day is preceded by a night of revelry in which elaborately adorned papier-mâché floats are carried through Bali’s street - with images depicting all manner of demons and well-known celebrities, carried on the shoulders of village youth who have spent the weeks leading up to the festival creating the colorful displays. As dawn approaches, the celebrants, now rid of their wild impetuosity, slip away to their respective homes for a 24-hour period of mandatory solitude and reflection from which to launch the year ahead.
Unique in all the world, Nyepi Day is preceded by a night of revelry in which elaborately adorned papier-mâché floats are carried through Bali’s street - with images depicting all manner of demons and well-known celebrities, carried on the shoulders of village youth who have spent the weeks leading up to the festival creating the colorful displays. As dawn approaches, the celebrants, now rid of their wild impetuosity, slip away to their respective homes for a 24-hour period of mandatory solitude and reflection from which to launch the year ahead.
On March, 31st. 2014 (Nyepi or Caka Year 1936) you could witness the Balinese Hindus carrying out the Catur Brata Penyepian, in an additional way the Balinese display how they love their environment in accordance to the Balinese Hindu Philosophy known as “Tri Hitakarana” that explains the relationship between Humanity, God and the Environment.
Nyepi mandates a day of absolute quietude, based on the four precepts of Catur Brata:
Nyepi mandates a day of absolute quietude, based on the four precepts of Catur Brata:
- Amati Geni: Prohibiting the lighting of fires, the use of lighting or the satisfaction of pleasurable human appetites.
- Amati Karya: Prohibiting all forms of physical work other than those dedicated to spiritual cleansing and renewal.
- Amati Lelungan: Prohibiting movement or travel; requiring people to stay within their residences.
- Amati Lelangunan: Prohibiting all forms of entertainment, recreations or general merrymaking.
The observance of the day is all pervasive and includes:
- The requirement that Bali visitors stay confined within the grounds of hotels for the 24-hour period and not leave the premises, except in cases of medical emergency.
- Hotels are asked to limit outside lighting out of respect to the surrounding Balinese communities.
- Employees of hotels and emergency services must stay confined to their place of employment for the entire 24-hour period.
- All streets are empty and closed. All businesses are closed. Only emergency vehicles are permitted on the roads.
- All seaports are closed during the 24-hour period.
- Bali’s airport is closed during the 24-hour period. No passengers are allowed to land or take off from the airport. Technical stops are allowed but no passenger may disembark or embark on a flight during this period.
- Television and radio stations are closed and cable broadcast companies are asked to suspend their signals to Bali during the proscribed period.
On Nyepi day – the day for meditation and absolute silence in Bali, - which this year falls on Friday, 23 March, the entire island of Bali will be closed for 24 hours to all traffic, including air traffic. In keeping with the strict traditions of the holy day, Bali grinds to an absolute stop from 6:00 a.m. on Monday, March 31st until Tuesday , April1st , 2012.
Those wishing to visit Bali on or around that day, please take special notice.
On the eve of Nyepi, celebrations are held when floats of huge colorful paper demons are paraded through the streets of cities, carried to the beach and torched, making a bright bonfire. Each one then quietly retreats to their respective homes to spend the entire day in silent reflection, free from any noise. Homes may also not have any open fires, nor any lights lit at night.
On this day, no one is allowed on the streets and on the beach, including tourists. Flights to and from Bali will be suspended.
While this may sound eerie, in fact, those that have gone through this absolute quietness of a whole island find it a most exhilarating experience.
We wish you a happy Nyepi day 2014
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