Bali - celebrate Nyepi with the locals

The Balinese believe that time, and life for that matter, is a never-ending cycle punctuated by a brief pause of silent non-existence. That’s probably why they celebrate the end of a year and the start of a new one in a unique ritual known as the quietest religious ritual in the world.

On that day of Nyepi, Bali will look like a deserted island as the Balinese Hindus observe the four abstinence's: Amati Geni (refraining from lighting any fire or using electricity), Amati Karya (refraining from conducting any work), Amati Lelungan (refraining from traveling outside one’s family compound) and Amati Lelanguan (refraining from partaking in any pleasurable activity).

Offices, supermarkets, schools, and even harbors and airports will be closed. Television and radio stations will stop their broadcasts and the whole island will spend a night in complete darkness. Only members of the Pecalang (traditional security guards) will roam the empty and dark streets to maintain security. Everyone in Bali, including tourists, is not allowed to go outside their house or accommodation. For a Balinese, Nyepi is the day to stand still, to keep quiet, to close the eyes, and to start a wordless conversation with the inner-self. It is also a time to spend intimate time with the most important persons in their lives: their children and loved ones. For some, it is a good excuse to just lie on the couch.

For the foreign visitors, who happen to be in Bali when Nyepi arrives, which this year is on March 12, Nyepi is the perfect opportunity to immerse themselves in a genuine Balinese experience, stay a couple of days in a local home-stay or guesthouse. The best way to do immerse yourself is by arriving at that home-stay three days before Nyepi. This will give you ample time to get acquainted with the family’s members, which in could mean four adults, two bright children, one hilarious maid, three suspicious looking birds and two curious dogs with obscure pedigrees. It will also give you time to watch the loud street procession on the night before Nyepi. Known as Ngerupuk, the local youths parade menacing-looking giant Ogoh-ogoh around the village to ward off any evil spirits.

They will be accompanied by fast-paced bleganjur percussion ensembles and girls with bamboo torches. It is a lively parade that will scare any mild-mannered demons away. The stubborn ones will immediately depart once they see the youths set the effigies ablaze at midnight, a strong message to the devil community. On the following day, the guests could observe Nyepi with their host family and experience firsthand that the withdrawal syndrome is not an exclusive suffering for the heroin addict but an inclusive occurrence among BlackBerry, iPhone and other modern gadgets users. Those tourists, and expatriates, and non-Balinese, and an increasing number of wealthy Balinese, who don’t
want to suffer that withdrawal syndrome could head to one of the luxurious hotels that offer special Nyepi packages. Over the years, the island’s hotels have developed unique Nyepi packages specially tailored to provide their guests with a spiritual experience without cutting too much of their physical comfort.

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