No Vehicles, No Crowds, No Internet: Balinese Hindus Start Saka New Year With ‘Day Of Silence’

Balinese Hindus celebrate the Saka (Balinese calendar) New Year today (Thursday, 7 March 2019) with their airport closed, no vehicles on the road, no crowds on the beaches, and internet shut down, from 6 am today to 6 am tomorrow.

‘Nyepi’ or Day of Silence, commemorated every Isakawarsa, is a day reserved for self-reflection as people meditate and fast. Anything that interferes with the process is avoided. On the public holiday, the lights are kept dim with no entertainment or pleasure; no travelling; and, for some, no talking or eating at all.

The usually bustling streets of the famous tourist destination in Indonesia are empty and the only people seen outside are the Pecalang, traditional security men who patrol the streets to ensure the prohibitions are being followed.

Although the tourists are free to do as they wish inside their hotels, activities are restricted outside. With the only airport in Bali remaining closed, only emergency vehicles responding to life-threatening conditions are allowed.

It is an opportunity for us Balinese Hindus to restart life with a pure heart, The Hindu quoted Wayan Gota, a hotel manager in Kuta, as saying.

While the night before Nyepi is celebrated with noisy processions of giant scary figures symbolising evil spirits, the night after also sees social activity picking up quickly, as families and friends meet to perform certain religious rituals together and ask for each other’s forgiveness.

Also read: Bali Jatra: Celebration Of An Ancient Voyage