Nyepi | |
---|---|
Also called | Day of silence |
Observed by | Balinese Hinduism |
Type | Hindus, cultural |
Celebrations | Perform tapa brata penyepian |
Observances | Prayers, religious rituals, fasting |
Begins | 06:00 |
Ends | 06:00 the next day |
Date | Hindu Balinese Saka 1 Kedasa |
2023 date | 22 March |
2024 date | 11 March |
2025 date | 29 March |
Nyepi is a Balinese "Day of Silence" that is commemorated every Isakawarsa (Saka new year) according to the Balinese calendar (in 2024, it falls on March 11).
Nyepi, a public holiday in Indonesia, is a day of silence, fasting and meditation for the Balinese. The day following Nyepi is also celebrated as New Year's Day. [1] [2] After Nyepi, youths of Bali in the village of Sesetan in South Bali practice the ceremony of omed-omedan or 'The Kissing Ritual' to celebrate the new year. [3]
Observed from 6 a.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning, Nyepi is a day reserved for self-reflection, and as such, anything that might interfere with that purpose is restricted. The main restrictions are no lighting fires (and lights must be kept low); no working; no entertainment or pleasure; no traveling; and, for some, no talking or eating at all.
The effect of these prohibitions is that Bali's usually bustling streets and roads are empty, there is little or no noise from TVs and radios, limited access to Internet and few signs of activity are seen even inside homes. The only people to be seen outdoors are the pecalang, traditional security men who patrol the streets to ensure the prohibitions are being followed.
Although Nyepi is primarily a Hindu holiday, non-Hindu residents and tourists are not exempt from the restrictions in Bali. Although they are free to do as they wish inside their hotels, no one is allowed onto the beaches or streets, and the only airport in Bali remains closed for the entire day. Tourists who violate the rules could face deportation. [4]
On the afternoon and evening before Nyepi, accessibility on roads is limited. Many local roads are closed for the parade in the evening, making it difficult to navigate by car or scooter. Most local restaurants close early and many ATMs are switched off with the cash removed until the day following Nyepi. [5]
The indirectly-state-owned consumer communications provider Telkomsel shuts down all internet access, while privately owned ISPs remain operational. Some hotels/resorts choose to shut down WiFi coverage, while others choose to let it remain operational.
Electricity remains operational in Bali, while being shut off in Nusa Penida (2023).
The only exceptions granted are for emergency vehicles responding to life-threatening conditions and women going into labor. [6] [7]
On the day after Nyepi, known as Ngembak Geni (Relighting the Fire), social activity picks up again quickly, as families and friends gather to ask forgiveness from one another, and to perform certain religious rituals together. Fires and electricity are allowed again, and cooking of food resumes. Nyepi can be traced as far back as 78 A.D. [8]
Most Hindu Balinese villages make Ogoh-ogoh, demonic statues made of richly painted bamboo, papier-mâché, cloth, and tinsel symbolising negative elements or malevolent spirits or even characters from Hindu mythology. After the Ogoh-ogoh have been paraded around the village, they are burned in the cemeteries although many are displayed in front of community halls for another month or more and sometimes even purchased by museums and collectors.
CE year | Balinese year | Nyepi date |
---|---|---|
2024 | 1946 | 11 March |
2025 | 1947 | 29 March |
2026 | 1948 | 19 March |
In 2024 the Ogoh-Ogoh parades were cancelled because of the general election being so close to the date of the festival, the regional government fearing that the parade may be used to convey political themes. Only villages, in particular the traditional villages, were allowed to hold the parade. [17]
The festival is related to those observed by Hindus in the Indian subcontinent, although the dates are not the same due to the different calendars. For example, the Hindus of Maharashtra term their new year Gudi Padwa (in Marathi: गुढी पाडवा). The Sindhis, people from Sindh, celebrate the beginning of their calendar year as Cheti Chand . The Manipuris celebrate their new year as Sajibu Nongma Panba. The Hindus of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka also celebrate their new year as Ugadi .
Security is provided by the usual hansip, while the pecalang are redirected into security roles from their usual mundane tasks like traffic coordination to beef up the local security. These two security forces report to local village heads. In 2017, it is reported islandwide that some 22,000 pecalang are taking part for Nyepi. [18] National police also take part, but naturally ultimately report to Jakarta rather than the village or regency level.
Bali is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller offshore islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Ceningan to the southeast. The provincial capital, Denpasar, is the most populous city in the Lesser Sunda Islands and the second-largest, after Makassar, in Eastern Indonesia. Denpasar metropolitan area is the extended metropolitan area around Denpasar. The upland town of Ubud in Greater Denpasar is considered Bali's cultural centre. The province is Indonesia's main tourist destination, with a significant rise in tourism since the 1980s, and becoming an Indonesian area of overtourism. Tourism-related business makes up 80% of the Bali economy.
Balinese Hinduism, also known in Indonesia as Agama Hindu Dharma, Agama Tirtha, Agama Air Suci or Agama Hindu Bali, is the form of Hinduism practised by the majority of the population of Bali. This is particularly associated with the Balinese people residing on the island, and represents a distinct form of Hindu worship incorporating local animism, ancestor worship or Pitru Paksha, and reverence for Buddhist saints or Bodhisattava.
The Balinese people are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Indonesian island of Bali. The Balinese population of 4.2 million live mostly on the island of Bali, making up 89% of the island's population. There are also significant populations on the island of Lombok and in the easternmost regions of Java.
Pendet dance is a traditional dance from Bali, Indonesia, in which floral offerings are made to purify the temple or theater as a prelude to ceremonies or other dances. Pendet is typically performed by young girls, carrying bowls of flower petals, handfuls of which are cast into the air at various times in the dance. Pendet can be thought of as a dance of greeting, to welcome the audience and invite spirits to enjoy a performance. It is one of the oldest Balinese dances, although the current form was codified in the 1950s.
Hinduism is the third-largest religion in Indonesia, based on civil registration data in 2023 from Ministry of Home Affairs, is practised by about 1.68% of the total population, and almost 87% of the population in Bali. Hinduism was the dominant religion in the country before the arrival of Islam and is one of the six official religions of Indonesia today. Hinduism came to Indonesia in the 1st-century through Indian traders, sailors, scholars and priests. A syncretic fusion of pre-existing Javanese folk religion, culture and Hindu ideas, that from the 6th-century also synthesized Buddhist ideas as well, evolved as the Indonesian version of Hinduism. These ideas continued to develop during the Srivijaya and Majapahit empires. About 1400 CE, these kingdoms were introduced to Islam from coast-based Muslim traders, and thereafter Hinduism, which was previously the dominant religion in the region, mostly vanished from many of the islands of Indonesia.
Galungan is a Balinese holiday celebrating the victory of dharma over adharma. It marks the time when the ancestral spirits visit the Earth. The last day of the celebration is Kuningan, when they return. The date is calculated according to the 210-day Balinese Pawukon calendar.
Gamelan beleganjur is one of the most popular styles of gamelan music in Bali. Its closest Western analogue is probably the Western military band.
Barong is a panther-like creature and character in the Balinese mythology of Bali, Indonesia. He is the king of the spirits, leader of the hosts of good, and enemy of Rangda, the demon queen and mother of all spirit guarders in the mythological traditions of Bali. The battle between Barong and Rangda is featured in the Barong dance to represent the eternal battle between good and evil.
Balinese dance is an ancient dance tradition that is part of the religious and artistic expression among the Balinese people of Bali island, Indonesia. Balinese dance is dynamic, angular, and intensely expressive. Balinese dancers express the stories of dance-drama through bodily gestures including gestures of fingers, hands, head, and eyes.
Dance in Indonesia reflects the country's diversity of ethnicities and cultures. There are more than 1,300 ethnic groups in Indonesia. Austronesian roots and Melanesian tribal forms are visible, and influences ranging from neighboring Asian and even western styles through colonization. Each ethnic group has its own dances: there are more than 3,000 original dance forms in Indonesia. The old traditions of dance and drama are being preserved in the numerous dance schools which flourish not only in the courts but also in the modern, government-run or supervised art academies.
Ogoh-ogoh are statues built for the Ngrupuk parade, which takes place on the eve of Nyepi day in Bali, Indonesia. Ogoh-ogoh normally take the form of mythological beings, mostly demons. As with many creative endeavours based on Balinese Hinduism, the creation of Ogoh-ogoh represents spiritual aims inspired by Hindu philosophy.
A Pura is a Balinese Hindu temple and the place of worship for adherents of Balinese Hinduism in Indonesia. Puras are built following rules, style, guidance, and rituals found in Balinese architecture. Most puras are found on the island of Bali, where Hinduism is the predominant religion; however many puras exist in other parts of Indonesia where significant numbers of Balinese people reside. Mother Temple of Besakih is the most important, largest, and holiest temple in Bali. Many Puras have been built in Bali, leading it to be titled "the Island of a Thousand Puras".
The Balinese saka calendar is one of two calendars used on the Indonesian island of Bali. Unlike the 210-day pawukon calendar, it is based on the phases of the Moon, and is approximately the same length as the tropical year.
An Odalan is a Balinese village temple festival in Indonesia. It is an occasion when the Hindu village community comes together, invite the gods to visit them for three or more days, perform religious services together offering refreshments and entertainment. It is a periodic event, one that celebrates Balinese Hindu heritage and performance arts. The Odalan celebrations are a social occasion among Indonesian Hindus, and have historically contributed to the rich tradition of theatre and Balinese dance forms.
Ngejot refers to the Hindu ritual of giving food to neighbors as a gesture of gratitude, usually during times of celebrations or holidays.
Omed-omedan, also known as "The Kissing Ritual", is a ceremony that is held by the young people of Banjar Kaja Sesetan, Denpasar, Bali. Omed-omedan is held on the day of ngembak geni to celebrate the Saka new year. The name is derived from the Balinese language and means pull-pull.
Melasti is a Hindu Balinese purification ceremony and ritual, which, according to the Balinese calendar, is held several days prior to the Nyepi holy day. It is observed by Hindus in Indonesia, especially in Bali. Melasti was meant as the ritual to cleanse the world from all the filth of sin and bad karma through the symbolic act of acquiring the Tirta Amerta, "the water of life".
The cendrawasih dance is a Balinese dance which is performed by two female dancers and illustrates the mating rituals of the bird of paradise.
Pura Taman Ayun is a compound of Balinese temple and garden located in Mengwi district (kecamatan) in Badung Regency, Bali, Indonesia. Its water features are an integral part of the local subak system.
Pecalang are a type of local "traditional" security officers of an administrative village in Bali, Indonesia. Throughout Indonesia, they are uniquely present in Bali only and usually are engaged in mundane tasks such as assisting traffic control, but during large events are tasked with general security. They work in coordination with other state security and law enforcement agencies, which are the Satpol PP and the police. Pecalangs are local security bodies and report only to the village head, a Kepala Desa. Pecalangs are not modern phenomena created for tourism; rather, Bali had hansip and pecalang security bodies for hundreds of years before the advent of modern tourism. These forces traditionally reported to one of the royal families of the historic Bali Kingdoms, also considered as their eyes and ears.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link)