Nyepi in Bali: a Complete Silence in Bali's New Year

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Bali and Hindus are two things that are inextricably linked. The majority of Bali's indigenous people are Hindus. In Bali, Hindus have always been eager to preserve their ancestor's traditions from the past until now, making their numerous traditions become a part of Bali culture and identity. This includes the well-known Hindu tradition of celebrating the Saka New Year, the Silent Day or Nyepi.

Have you ever heard about a silent day in Bali? It's a part of the Saka New Year celebration when all of the Bali island's lights must be turned off for a complete 24 hours, all transportation stops, and everyone must stay at home. Balinese call this Silent Day ‘Nyepi’.

There are numerous ceremonies and traditions which will be conducted aside from Nyepi. The purpose of these rites is to purify the human body (in this case, Hindus) in order to improve their quality of life. The following are the series of customs and ceremonies conducted in the Saka New Year celebration:

The Saka New Year Ceremonies Sequence

1. Melasti Ceremony

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The Melasti Ceremony is usually held on three or four days before the silent day, Nyepi. The purpose of this ceremony is to purify the human body and mind (Bhuana Alit), as well as purify the entire earth (Bhuwana Agung) from any kind of evil and bad spirits. Also known as Melis or Mekiis, Melasti Ceremony is the largest Ritual of Purification in Bali. It involves almost all the Balinese Hindu people carrying all the God symbols to the sea or other sacred water sources like rivers and lakes.

2. Tawur Kesanga or Mecaru

Tawur Kesanga or Mercaru is usually held one day before the silent day or Nyepi. Numerous rites are performed at the Tawur Kesanga ceremony, from traditional dances to making offerings to God. The purpose of these rites is to protect nature and ensure its sustainability. When these rites are conducted, Pengrupukan is celebrated with ogoh-ogoh parades all around in the afternoon till the evening.

The ogoh-ogoh itself is a depiction of the wicked and evil essence of humanity; as such, it will be burned at the conclusion of this rite in the hope that all evil and terrible things would go away.

3. Nyepi (sipeng)

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The implementation of Nyepi in Bali takes place from 06.00 AM until 06.00 AM the next day. To give Hindus a solemn atmosphere for self-evaluation, shamadi, and meditation there are four restrictions in the Catur Brata Sesepian control.

The four restrictions mentioned in the Catur Brata Sesepian are:

Amati geni

Geni means fire, at this rule, you are not allowed to light any fire or turn on any lamp.

Amati Karya

At this state, the Hindus should deliver all their focus and activities to the purification rites, Nyepi. By that means, all kinds of work and physical activities are better to be stopped for a while.

Amati Lelungan

Hindus are not allowed to go outside their home and are expected to stay in to give all their focus and mind to God.

Amati Lelanguan

In this state, the Hindus are expected to not enjoy any kind of entertainment, recreation, or revelry. Hindus are also required to do fasting.

Tourists and other Non-Hindus in Bali are also encouraged to respect the regulations as a sign of tolerance. It can be done by a simple action like not disturbing the sanctity of Silent Day Nyepi by making noise or disrupting the peace. Or if you’re Balinese people who do not celebrate Nyepi, you can also volunteer to serve as pecalang, or traditional police (polisi adat), whose goal is to uphold a conducive environment.

4. Ngembak Geni

Hindus in Bali are free to carry on with their regular activities after honouring the silent day, or Nyepi. At this moment, they will start the new year by visiting their siblings' houses to welcome one another and seek forgiveness as they embark on a new year's journey.

Can Bali be Visited During Nyepi?

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For the whole 24 hours of the Nyepi celebration, every activity in Bali is closed down, including all forms of transportation like buses and airlines. However, if you have been in Bali before the silent day or Nyepi is being held, you can eventually enjoy the beauty of Bali in its serene environment.

Unlike in most residential areas, some inns keep turning on tiny lights and conduct small activities as long as it doesn't interrupt the silent day.

1. Staycation at The Hotel While Enjoying The Existing Facilities

Some inns will let you turn on lights. It will also let you do some activities with their facilities like gym, pool, culinary at the restaurant, SPA, and many more. This is a great way to go and to do in Bali on the Silent Day or Nyepi.

2. Reading Books And Film Marathons With Family

While the serene environment embellished with the hostelry view is a perfect combination to enjoy your reading time. Television is one of the basic hostelry room facilities which you will get. For those of you who don't have any spare time to read books or film marathons, this is a great time to do it!

3. Doing Yoga

Some people really harness this serene environment to do yoga, or other meditation. The air quality is getting better since there’s no pollution from vehicles and the ambient is so calming. This atmosphere is a perfect moment to do yoga.

4. Enjoy The Milky Way At Night

If the sky is clear, you can watch the starry sky at night. On silent day, Bali will become completely dark since no light is allowed to be turned on. At this time, the starry sky and milky way are enjoyable with naked eyes. Make sure you don’t miss this event!

Final Thoughts

Nyepi is a powerful tradition. It gives nature a space to breathe from human activities. As well as for humans, this is a great time to meditate and deepen their spiritual connection with God. Not only that, there are some fun facts about Silent Day or Nyepi; it saves around one million litres of fuel usage, reduces electricity consumption up to 60%, and inspires the United Nations to establish the World Silent Day campaign.

As you can see, this tradition is so powerful and beneficial for all life aspects. So, are you enticed to feel the sensation in Bali?