Nyepi

Purifying before the new year

Nyepi comes from sepi, meaning silent, and marks the Hindu solar new year of the Saka era, which began in 78 AD. Three or four days before, the Melasti ritual is held at temples near the sea and on beaches, to purify sacred objects and collect holy water from the sea. On the eve of Nyepi comes the Bhuta Yajna, meant to defeat negative forces and restore balance between God, people and nature. At sunset the ngrupuk begins: people bang pots, pans and bamboo tubes and burn torches of dried coconut leaves to drive out demons.

Most Balinese villages build ogoh-ogoh for the night — demonic figures of painted bamboo, papier-mâché, cloth and tinsel that stand for negative elements and evil spirits, or characters from Hindu mythology. After being paraded around the village they are burned, although many are displayed in front of community halls for a month or more.

A day of silence

From 6 am the island falls silent for 24 hours, a day given over to self-reflection, fasting and meditation. Four prohibitions apply: amati geni, no fire or light; amati karya, no work; amati lelungan, no travel; and amati lelanguan, no entertainment. The streets are empty, and the only people outside are the pecalang, traditional village security men who patrol to make sure the rules are kept. Exceptions are made only for emergency vehicles and women in labour.

The next day, Ngembak Geni — “relighting the fire” — families and friends gather to ask one another’s forgiveness and pray together, and fires, lights and cooking return.