On the 3rd of March, Bali will hold “Nyepi”, or the “Day Of Silence” and “Self-Reflection”, where everything goes fully quiet for 24 hours. Travelling time in the world of silence.
Every year in Bali, the famous Indonesian resort’s island, everything shuts down for 24 hours. No sound should be heard at all, anywhere on the island, so of course including at Kaltimber! Even the airport is closed.
Days of ceremony prior to the big day.
Nyepi is preceded by various rituals performed by the Balinese to celebrate the first day of the Saka lunar calendar, making the Day of Silence their own New Year celebration.
One of these rituals is called “Melasti”, and is held three days prior to “Hari Raya Nyepi”. It is performed by using sea water near Hindu temples located on beaches.
Melasti ritual - JG’s Pics
The Eve of Hindu New Year
On Nyepi’s eve, a final ritual is performed by every community with the aim to banish negativity and evil spirits from the island. But the most expected moment of this evening takes place in the streets, as thousands of people gather for the “Ogoh Ogoh” parade. Ogoh Ogoh is the name given to giant statues made of bamboo and papers.
Impressive ogoh-ogoh - JG’s Pics
They are usually built by local youth groups, who then have the honour of carrying them during the parade on the sounds of local instruments.
Some of these statues can be very impressive, and sometimes talk about current events. After the parade, the ogoh-ogoh are usually burned in a large public bonfire.
Ogoh-ogoh night parade- JG’s Pics
On Nyepi Day
On the day of silence itself, it is said that no one in Bali may work, an idea that obviously nobody has issues with. This isn’t always true about the “no entertainment” rule” however, as locals enjoy the many aspects of the internet, leading religious authorities to shut down mobile data internet during Nyepi.
The last aspect is that nobody should travel. No choice here as “Pecalang”, the hindu village police, patrol the streets day and night to make sure that nobody leaves their homes.
No lights day = star day!
On top of everything no light should be visible from outside, so ALL lights are turned off on the island! It creates a visual feast for anyone who likes stargazing. This is made possible by the total absence of “light pollution”, this halo of light we see in the background when we live outside the city. Here, complete darkness.
Milkyway on Nyepi - Instagram/@denpasarnow)
With everything being shut down for Nyepi on 3rd of March, and the numerous rituals performed beforehand, it means that Kaltimber will be closed for a few days from March 2nd to March 6th..