Selamat Nyepi!

Happy Silent day everyone!

The year has officially turned 1937 and the streets are empty from all cars, motorbikes and stressed out people. Yet it is not really silent, today the streets of Tianyar is instead occupied by joyful children playing with their bikes and racing each other along the long curvy, usually busy, roads. A wonderful scene that really got me.

“Nyepi is a Balinese "Day of Silence" that is commemorated every Isakawarsa (Saka new year) according to the Balinese calendar. In 2015, Nyepi Day falls on March 21st . Nyepi is a day reserved for self-reflection, and as such, anything that might interfere with that purpose is restricted. The main restrictions - called Catur Berata Penyepian -are no lighting fires (amati gni) , no travelling (amati lelungan), no working (amati karya); no entertainment or pleasure (amati lelangunan).”

 - https://www.facebook.com/VolunteerProgramsBali?ref=ts&fref=ts

The day before Nyepi, called Pengerupukan,  is also a very special day. Huge OGOH-OGOH parades takes place all over Bali.

Ogoh-ogoh are statues built by Balinese Hindu people, in every single village. The main purpose of the making of Ogoh-ogoh is the purification of the natural environment of any spiritual pollutants emitted from the activities of living beings, especially humans. The forms of Ogoh-ogoh represent, to Hindu believe, the Bhuta-Kala, the eternal energy, Kala, eternal time.

Aside from being the symbol of eternal energy and time, Ogoh-ogoh is considered a symbol of modes of nature that form the malicious characters of living beings.  After being paraded on a convoy around the village on Pengerupukan, then the Ogoh Ogoh is usually burned to ashes as a symbol of self-purification.

One of Tianyars massive Ogoh Ogohs was created of our one and only manager Nyoman. He also designed the fabulous T-shirts people wore in the parade, our own village artist!

To summarize, If you ever plan on visiting Bali (which you definitely should once in your life) you should make sure your get to experience their new year. One of a kind for sure.

Dwi Citta Dharma

Welcome folks to 1937.