Nyepi Day: March 23
Nyepi is a religious observance for Hindus. It is also a public holiday in Indonesia.
Nyepi is the celebration of New Year in the Hindu Saka calendar. It is a lunar calendar and New Year is celebrated on the first day of the 10th lunar month, that is March or April of the Gregorian calendar, in 2010 will be on March 16.
History of Nyepi
Hindus in Bali use two calendars, the Pawukon system and the lunar Saka calendar. The Saka calendar is used by Hindus and has 12 months, and each month ends with the new moon. The New Year is celebrated with the new moon of the end of the 9th month. This day falls on March or April in the Gregorian calendar. To mark the New Year Balinese Hindus celebrate the day of Nyepi, or Day of Silence.
It is a day for strict meditation, fasting and silence, starting at 6am and ending the next day at 6am, there are strict rules when it comes to observing silence in Bali. You cannot light a fire, and you lights should be kept low, no work, no entertainment, no TV or music, no travel, the airport is closed during the whole day, and if you are a hardcore follower of these practices you will not eat or talk the whole day. Everybody is to stay at home and reflect on the past year and pray for blessings for the New Year that has started.
But Nyepi starts much before the actual New Year day; there are several festivals and rituals that are performed in preparation for Nyepi. If you manage to be faithful to the prohibitions during Nyepi, you will start the New Year purified and blessed, you will be Kedewaan, or like having the qualities of a deity.
Nyepi Traditions, Customs and Activities
There are several traditions that are included in the Nyepi celebrations and that start before the actual day.
- Melasti is a day for colorful processions of the images of the Gods to the waters of the oceans from their temples, it is done three or four days before Nyepi. There are prayers in the beach before returning the images of the Gods to their temples, in the city. It has the meaning of cleaning all impurities from humans and the whole universe with the waters of the ocean.
Tawur Kesanga and Caru are sacrifice rituals on the eve of Nyepi. There are sacrifices of all kinds of animals, chickens, ducks, dogs, goats or cows and bulls. These are offered with plants to the Gods. On the same day, there is also a traditional running around the houses or villages for protection with a torch and a bell to make noise. In a village there are processions with a giant doll called Ogoh-Ogoh, that is like a giant puppet monster, which in the end is burned.
Then on the day of Nyepi, total silence is to be observed. The religious prohibitions are: no fire, no work, no entertainment or pleasure, no travelling. Everybody is to stay at home and is not allowed to come out in the streets, there are actual government officials that patrol the streets to make sure that no one is outside. Exceptions of course for emergencies.
After the Nyepi there is a day that is called Ngembak Geni, it is a day for forgiveness, everybody gets out of the house to visit relatives and friends and share the happiness of the New Year with clean spirits. And they are received with cakes and sweets that are prepared especially for this day.
Other interesting posts:
- Maha Shivratri is a religious observance for Hindus
- Vasant Panchami is a Hindu religious observance
- Parinirvana is a religious observance for Buddhists
- Birthday of Guru Har Rai is a Sikh religious observance
- Birth of the Prophet is an Islamic religious observance
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