{"id":681,"date":"2015-03-19T10:48:02","date_gmt":"2015-03-19T14:48:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/?p=681"},"modified":"2016-12-29T10:22:31","modified_gmt":"2016-12-29T15:22:31","slug":"nyepi-balis-day-of-silence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/nyepi-balis-day-of-silence\/","title":{"rendered":"Nyepi: Bali&#8217;s Day of Silence"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In a place as popular and bustling as the island of Bali, can you imagine experiencing absolute silence? No noisy motorbikes whizzing by, no TV sets blaring, no gossiping Balinese women chatting away, no beer guzzling backpackers partying on the beach. Absolute silence. This happens once a year on\u00a0<em>Hari Raya Nyepi<\/em>, a Hindu celebration for the New Year according to the Balinese saka calendar. It falls on the first new moon in March, which happens on the 21st this year. Also known as the &#8220;Day of Silence,&#8221; this is a day for exactly that &#8211; reflection, fasting, and meditating. Here&#8217;s a rough guide to this important Balinese holiday:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Film About Bali - Bali Ceremony Movie - Silent Day bali paradise\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/I48nSguLp7Y?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><em>A crash course in the &#8220;Day of Silence.&#8221;\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center\">The Days Before<\/h1>\n<div id=\"attachment_683\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter post-item__attachment\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2015\/03\/13683125694_2354749382_z.jpg\" aria-label=\"13683125694 2354749382 Z\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-683\" class=\"size-full wp-image-683\"  alt=\"Image by Fabrice Florin from www.flickr.com.\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/ src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2015\/03\/13683125694_2354749382_z.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2015\/03\/13683125694_2354749382_z.jpg 640w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2015\/03\/13683125694_2354749382_z-350x263.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-683\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image by Fabrice Florin from www.flickr.com.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>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 <em>melasti<\/em> and is meant to purify the effigies.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Bali New Year 2014 - Melasti - Bali Ceremony\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qPgFMy-IxOQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><em>Melasti ceremony in Bali.<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_684\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter post-item__attachment\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2015\/03\/2345700384_2ce9f0d60b_z.jpg\" aria-label=\"2345700384 2ce9f0d60b Z\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-684\" class=\"size-full wp-image-684\"  alt=\"Image by Matthew Spong www.flickr.com.\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/ src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2015\/03\/2345700384_2ce9f0d60b_z.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2015\/03\/2345700384_2ce9f0d60b_z.jpg 640w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2015\/03\/2345700384_2ce9f0d60b_z-350x263.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-684\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image by Matthew Spong www.flickr.com.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>On the day before Nyepi &#8211;\u00a0<em>Tawur Kesanga<\/em>\u00a0(&#8220;Day of Great Sacrifices&#8221;) &#8211; the\u00a0<em>Bhuta Yajna<\/em> ritual\u00a0takes place in villages all across the island. The purpose of this is to rid Bali of all evil spirits before the new year. Offerings are made by sacrificing animals, and huge monster-like dolls called <em>ogoh-ogoh<\/em> are made of paper-mache. With bulging eyes, creepy faces, and long claws, they are meant to terrify. After the monsters have been paraded through the village, they are burned in a ceremony known as\u00a0<em>Ngerupuk<\/em>. From there, it degenerates into a wild party full of singing, dancing, and drinking.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ogoh Ogoh Monster festival - Ubud, Bali 2014 HD\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vHfHHjqNSWQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><em>Highlights from an ogoh-ogoh parade.<\/em><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center\">Nyepi<\/h1>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Nyepi: Bali&#039;s day of silence de Bruno Leblanc\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GMhFeRnbI0k?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><em>There aren&#8217;t any videos of the silence, so here&#8217;s another one of the parade.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Mere hours after the huge party, silence takes over the island at 6 in the morning\u00a0and lasts for 24 hours. The reason for the peace and quiet is so that when the demons descend to take over Bali, they decide the island is uninhabited and leave it alone for one more year. All human activity ceases, and people must stay in their homes (or hotels for tourists). The only people you&#8217;ll see out on the streets are the <em>pecalang<\/em> (village police), who make sure nobody is out and about. There are four main rules, known as\u00a0<em>Catur Brata<\/em>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Amati Geni:\u00a0No fire, light, or electricity.<\/li>\n<li>Amati Karya:\u00a0No working.<\/li>\n<li>Amati Lelungan:\u00a0No movement or travel outside of the home.<\/li>\n<li>Amati Lelangunan:\u00a0No entertainment or revelry of any kind.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This silence lasts until 6 AM the next day, when it&#8217;s back to business as usual on the Island of the Gods.<\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center\">The Day After<\/h1>\n<p>The day of\u00a0<em>Ngembak Geni<\/em>\u00a0is a day to visit family, friends, and neighbors to ask for and exchange forgiveness for any wrongdoings in the past year. It&#8217;s also a day for religious\u00a0<em>Dharma Canthi\u00a0<\/em>rituals with the reciting of ancient scriptures. This is the equivalent of New Year&#8217;s Day in the Balinese calendar, but it&#8217;s much different from January 1st in western countries.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Bali is an island with a rich and fascinating culture, and the celebrations surrounding Nyepi are a prime example. If you should find yourself on the Island of the Gods around the New Year, join in the parade and debauchery, and then take a day to do as the Balinese do &#8211; reflect, meditate, and forego the usual pleasures of everyday life. For a closer look at this important holiday and some great Indonesian listening practice, check out this short documentary:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"New year&#039;s day in total silence at Bali - vpro Metropolis 2014\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Gsvw9VesREA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<img width=\"350\" height=\"263\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2015\/03\/2345700384_2ce9f0d60b_z-350x263.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image tmp-hide-img\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2015\/03\/2345700384_2ce9f0d60b_z-350x263.jpg 350w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2015\/03\/2345700384_2ce9f0d60b_z.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><p>In a place as popular and bustling as the island of Bali, can you imagine experiencing absolute silence? No noisy motorbikes whizzing by, no TV sets blaring, no gossiping Balinese women chatting away, no beer guzzling backpackers partying on the beach. Absolute silence. This happens once a year on\u00a0Hari Raya Nyepi, a Hindu celebration for&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"post-item__readmore\"><a class=\"btn btn--md\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/nyepi-balis-day-of-silence\/\">Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":684,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[375368,375370,375367,375375,375373,375369,10460,375371,375366,375372,375374],"class_list":["post-681","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-bali-day-of-silence","tag-bali-new-year","tag-balinese-day-of-silence","tag-bhuta-yajna","tag-hari-raya-nyepi","tag-hindu-new-year","tag-hinduism","tag-melasti","tag-nyepi","tag-ogah-ogah","tag-saka-calendar"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/681","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/55"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=681"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/681\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2289,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/681\/revisions\/2289"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=681"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=681"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=681"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}