{"id":2505,"date":"2017-03-06T10:00:38","date_gmt":"2017-03-06T15:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/?p=2505"},"modified":"2017-03-02T19:23:18","modified_gmt":"2017-03-03T00:23:18","slug":"a-guide-to-nyepi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/a-guide-to-nyepi\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to Nyepi"},"content":{"rendered":"

Once a year, the entire island of Bali shuts down for a day. The airport is closed, the roads are free of motorbikes, and even Kuta Beach is devoid of action. What’s the occasion? It’s Hari Raya Nyepi<\/strong>, or the Balinese New Year. It occurs on the first new moon of March, which falls\u00a0on the 28th this year. This is the most important holiday on the Island of the Gods, and it’s meant for fasting, reflection, and meditation. In the lead-up to the Day of Silence, however, there’s a lot going on.<\/p>\n

Melasti Ceremony<\/h2>\n
\"A<\/a>

Kicking off Nyepi festivities in Bali.<\/p><\/div>\n

In the days leading up to the festival, all of the statues of gods are taken out of temples and brought down to the water to be washed. In this colorful ceremony, sacred water is also collected. This ritual is known as melasti<\/em> and is meant to purify the effigies. Check out some highlights of the melasti<\/em> ceremony from last year:<\/p>\n