Nyepi – the day of silence

March 19th marked the beginning of year 1929 on the Balinese calendar. The ceremonies actually began two days earlier, with most Balinese going to temple or to the beach to pray that the evil spirits would not come to Bali and cause problems. The second day is for the ogoh-ogoh. Every community had spent the last couple of weeks building these giant statues that symbolize evil spirits. What began as a simple bamboo frame was built upon, layer by layer, until the finished product emerged – evil spirits ranging from traditional ones that you would see in Barong dances, to mohawked punk rockers waving their middle finger in the air, to a freaky thing that looked exactly like the creature from The Grudge! Each ogoh was mounted on a checkerboard bamboo structure and carried by a group of 12 to 15 young boys or men. They were carried down the lanes formed by the crowd that had gathered on the freeway. Traffic was backed up on the entire island as the ogoh-ogoh, accompanied by their own musicians, alternately danced, ran, and sauntered through the crowds on their way to the beach where they were finally burned. The whole ogoh-ogoh event symbolizes the banishment of the evil spirits that would take place the next day.

By midnight, all of Bali begins to settle down. For the next 24 hours, there is absolutely no human activity on the entire island! No one leaves their home. The sky above the island becomes a no-fly zone to all aircraft. Traditionally, no one is supposed to make any noise or use any artificial light. The day is supposed to be spent in meditation. During those 24 hours, the evil spirits return to Bali but when they see and hear nothing, they assume the island is uninhabited and they leave for another year.

We may have talked, used candles after dark, and even used electricity to listen to music for a while, but the silence and calm in a place that normally veers toward the chaotic was powerful. The birds and frogs were not drowned out by motorbikes or blaring music. You could actually even hear the leaves rustling in the trees. And the stars that night were remarkable – probably the best I’ve ever seen, and I was standing in the middle of a city!!! With absolutely nothing to do, I was more relaxed and at peace than I have been in a long time.

After such a beautiful day, the whole world seems so noisy in comparison. Part of me wishes that we could have Nyepi every month – imagine how peaceful people would be if there were regular relaxation periods with nothing to do!