Nyepi - Balinese Silent Day

The Balinese Hindus use two kinds of calendar systems, the Saka calendar system and the 210-day Pawukon system. The Saka calendar is a lunar system and each of the 12 lunar months ends on a new month. The calendar begins the day after the new moon that ends the ninth lunar month. This always coincides with the Gregorian March. The Balinese Hindus 'celebrate' the coming of the new year of saka calendar in silence, which is called Nyepi Day. The Saka year numbering system is 78 years behind the Gregorian year. The Saka calendar came from India.

Several important ceremonies precede Nyepi. Two or three days before, apurification ceremony (melasti, mekiyis) is held across the island. Balinese is full ceremonial dress will replace half-naked sunbothers on the tourist beaches as they perform ritual purifications of religious paraphernalia such as the umbrellas, statues, speras and other sacred objects kept in home or temples.

In Balinese Hinduism, the relinquishment is accomplished into several parts of worship. There are four rules known as Catur Brata Penyepian which guide the Hindus to refrain a while from worldly and physical activities.

First is the principle called Amati Geni. People are not allowed to set lights and fire for the whole day, that includes not burning or setting a stove on, and they can’t cook for meals. Along with this purpose, they abstain from eating and drinking for 24 hours. In deeper reflection, this symbolizes turning the fire off in the five senses of the soul, along with any unscrupulous emotions. It brings up the other sensitivity from within one’s spirit, and it enhances the quality of life.

The other actions of turning down corporal dealings are; not doing any work at all which is called Amati Karya, not going anywhere (Amati Lelungan), and avoiding any entertainment forms (Amati Lelanguan).

On Nyepi Day, the Hindus stay at home, but they are not supposed to listen to the radio, watch TV, speak to each other, answer telephones, or take in guests. Instead, they should lay and meditate in darkness, or have prayers at their own pura called merajan (little house-shrine in the front part of the home) to work out on the inner part of their spiritual life.

It is very quiet on the street and it is impossible to go anywhere even for other communities who are exempt from the rite. The Ngurah Rai International Airport and all harbor accesses to Bali are closed. The airport will only allow overfly flights, transfer, or emergency landing, while public services such as hospitals and transportations for the sick and other emergency cases will be on the restricted judgment of village chiefs.

As a lot of visitors could not do anything else in the island, they will have to stay in the hotel and find their own activities day.



The Hindus in Bali are strongly religious. All ages, except babies seem to be wholeheartedly bound to the observance of the prayer. Women wear kebaya and have their hair twisted while men appear in white with udang (traditional headdress) on their head. They will march under golden yellow sunshades which are meant for ritual ceremonies.


To set up the execution of Catur Brata Penyepian, all figures of worship and sacred utensils must be cleaned up to the oceans in Melis or Melasti ceremony. Upon the cleaning, Melasti is aimed to wash up human soul from dirt and sins. The Hindus believe that it is the power of nature that will take all the agony and refresh the soul. It is important to sip something from the ocean, that ocean is full of waves, just like the world life, where humankind should find the essence of life from within.

During melasti ceremonies, visitors are encouraged to come to the beach from midday onward. This is not a time for swimming, sunbathing or surfing but it is the best time for visitors to witness one of Balinese's bigest purification cerimonies and provides irresistible photo opportunities. Visitors are respectfully requested to wear sorong and a waist sash. Since most streets to the beach around Sanur and Kuta are busy with processions, it is advisable to ether come before the processions jam the roads or shortly after they arrive on the beach.


Although ogoh ogoh can be seen from time to time as part of festival and dance performances, the ones made for the ngerupuk cleansing ritual are very special. Constructed around a bamboo frame, the effigies are stuffed with coconut fibre, animal hair, and sometimes with styrafoam. The outer skin is finished with glossy acrylic paint or with some form of fur depending of the caracter that they portray. Ogoh ogoh characters can be taken from Hindu mythology and sometimes from a contemporary figure that is considered fit to symbolize evil spirits, like a bomber. They are colossal in scale, can be between 2-3 meters high and very dramatic. It could take 2-3 weeks to make one. the ogoh ogoh are carried around the villages in a noisy parade full with torch-light. This act is believe to pacif evil spirits or other destructive force.

As a religious event of Balinese Hindus, Nyepi is a symbolical replay of these philosophical principles. The world is 'clean' in the beginning of the year. The Balinese Hindus do not celebrate the new year with lavish party, instead they celebrate the coming of the new year with meditation. No activities are allowed to take place. These mandatory religious prohibitions include no pleasure (amati lelangon), no traffic (amati lelungan), no fire (amati geni) and no work (amati karya). These prohibitions aim at controlling oneself and submission to God. Everybody has to stay in the individual houses. No lights in the house, no sounds of radio and no works, just keep silence. It is totally silence.

The anti-climax of the meditation is on the following day, which is called Ngembak Geni, where the people are happy and bless their success of controlling themselves. It is also the day of get-togetherness and family gathering.