Originally published in 2017, the text has been updated and new photos added on the occasion of Nyepi of March 7, 2019

When I started to write this story, it sounded like a tale. I imagined myself seated in front of you with my hardcover book, reading it out loud and showing you pictures of Balinese people in their beautiful clothes and the Ogoh-Ogoh, demon monsters made to exorcise the island of evil spirits on the eve of the Balinese New Year.

So here’s the story written as a tale but based on true facts!

 

Once upon a time on the island of Gods

Once upon a time, there was a tiny island located in the Indonesian archipelago called Bali. The gods had rewarded this piece of land with a luxuriant and abundant nature, fragrant frangipani, rice fields, exotic fruits, coconut trees, abundant water coming from six months of rain each year. The days were perfectly balanced with twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of night time.

Grateful for this wealth, the inhabitants demonstrated an exemplary devotion to their Gods and ancestors and by showing respect to the forces of the nature. They understood that their role on this land called the Island of the Gods, or the island of a thousand temples, was to maintain harmony between good and evil forces through many fascinating rituals and ceremonies.

One of those ceremonies was called Nyepi, the day of silence. In the language of the country, the word “sepi” meant tranquility, silence. This day was celebrated after the new moon of the spring equinox and marked the beginning of the Balinese New Year. Balinese used their own very complex calendar which contained twelve lunar months of 30 days. Their Hindu era called Saka began 78 years after our era, so in 2019 Balinese were preparing to celebrate the arrival of the year 1941.

 

Magical Purification Ceremony of Melasti

Three days before Nyepi, Balinese proceeded to a series of purification ceremonies called Melasti. This time was set to allow people to get rid of the accumulated stress, negative thoughts and any negative energy that will be absorbed by the purification forces of the water. All the sacred symbols placed in the temple of every village are also brought in procession to the place where the ceremony is held to be purified as well.

At the moment of the procession, the pretty sound of the gamelan is playing in the background by a group of young men equipped with their xylophone, flute, and other percussions.

Women are marching proudly in their white lace top with a ribbon tied at the waist and a colorful sarong. Some are holding a large basket of offerings on their heads. Men carry the sacred objects from the temple.

Melasti on the beach of Sanur

Women bring countless offerings on the main altar already filled with so many canang sari, those little handmade baskets we see everywhere everyday only in Bali.

 

Many priests are looking after the preparation of this important ceremony.

Blissful Moment of prayer

And once the ritual is over, the sacred objects from the temples that are actually representing different Hindu Gods are taken back to the temple filled with new energy for their community.

Ogoh-Ogho

The night before Nyepi, a whole different energy is in the air.  The village gets more festive, almost like a Carnaval. Giant demon-like monsters made of papier mâché of up to five meters high are tied up on bamboo palanquins held by a dozen of young men. Those big monsters are called “Ogoh-Ogoh” and are the results of a few weeks of creative work.

 

Each Ogoh-Ogoh is accompanied by the traditional gamelan cheering up the crowd and making the monsters alive with their vibrant and unique sounds of hand-played drums and xylophones. 

 

 

Most importantly, the Ogoh-Ogho are brought at the main junction to rotate them a few times to bewilder bad spirits prowling around the village.
 

The island and the inhabitants being cleaned and purified, Nyepi could start the following morning.

 

Nyepi – a day of refuge and introspection

At 6 am a bell ring to announce the beginning of the silence day.

4 main rules have to be followed by all the people currently on the island, including Balinese and tourists, for twenty-four hours.

It is forbidden to:

• Go outside in the streets
• Make a fire or any flame, restrain from cooking
• To switch on the lights – WiFi is even suspended so no phone, no computer
• Make loud noise – noise must be kept at its lowest.

Another major difference between cialis generic cipla and any form of viagra, is one of the widely demanded and acclaimed oral medications used to heal male impotence and provide great relief. The side effect of the drug also acts as an aphrodisiac. https://www.unica-web.com/ENGLISH/2013/general-secretary-report-2013.html commander viagra Using mud pack and cold water therapy has got Look At This prescription canada de viagra both mental as well as physical benefits. With this clearing, it leads for speedy flow of the blood along the male reproductive organ & therein males are able to enjoy pleasurable nights of intimacy. * People must consume such drug devices 1 hour prior to getting indulged into foreplay & the discount viagra the usa effect of such medication generally lasts for 4 to 6 hours and they start using many difficult and costly treatments for enjoying.
Almost no human sounds are noticeable. There are absolutely no motorcycles or cars in the streets. Even the international airport, the only one on the island, cease all its activities for 24 hours. Incredible isn’t it!

Absolutely no flight are given access to land or to leave Bali for 24 hours. Pollution is suspended over all the island. What a great gift for the planet!

Tourists in hotels are not allowed to check-in or check-out on that day. Everyone without exception must remain inside the hotel.

Everything is closed except for emergency services.

It is THE day for introspection, meditation, and a light fast on fruits and coconut water.  A day to withdraw from the rapid pace of everyday life and from the omnipresent distractions that often time restrict us from hearing our inner voice. A full day of silence to observe, listen, write and contemplate.. what a blessing!

Nature didn’t stop its daily life. Birds, roosters, chickens, and dogs were sometimes breaking the vow of silence and some humans too.. babies crying, kids talking… But still, the silence was for once predominant.

When the night came, it was magical. With almost no lights to compete with the sky, the stars were shining to their fullest.

The following day at 6 am another bell rang. Slowly silence is broken by the first scooters taking on the road again.

***

The reason behind this silent day is as spiritual as Hindus are in Bali. Now that the island was purified, Balinese want to trick the bad spirits by preventing them from coming back again. The best way is to pretend that the island is inhabited. Bali needed to look devoid of all activities for 24 hours.

Nyepi is a Hindu holiday, recognized as a national holiday in Indonesia but mainly celebrated in Bali. On the island of Bali, non-Hindu residents and tourists are not exempt from the four restrictions mentioned above, but tourists have more freedom to do as they wish inside their hotels.

An island that attracts more than 30,000 tourists a day in addition to its 4.225 million inhabitants who succeeds in hiding all of them for a day is quite surreal and extraordinary. A very ingenious way to let evil spirits believe that it is not worth dwelling on the island and to leave its inhabitants alone for another year.

In 2019, Nyepi was celebrated on March 7th under a very strong rain that lasted all day. A great sign of blessing and purification according to Balinese.

 

Happiness and serenity,

Nathalie