Nyepi
NYEPI A DAY OF CONTEMPLATION
Last updated
NYEPI A DAY OF CONTEMPLATION
Last updated
Bali has so many holidays and rituals almost everyday. All holidays in Bali are celebrated based on the counting of Balinese Traditional Calendar which has special days and months. One of those holidays celebrated in Bali is Nyepi. Nyepi comes from the word “sepi” which means silent. Nyepi is Balinese New Year which is not a rousing celebration like what people usually do to celebrate the New Year on 1 January. Based on the dating system in the Caka Calendar, which started in the year 78 BC, one year has 12 months and its first month is called " Caitramasa”.
Nyepi is held on the day after the first new moon of the vernal equinox. This is why the holiday does not have a permanent date in the Gregorian calendar.
The nearest Nyepi is March 22, 2023
As mentioned above, Nyepi is not a rousing celebration. It is a unique way to celebrate the new year because all activities will be stopped in one day during this holiday. Nyepi Day was created based on stories from the Vedic scriptures which tell that at the beginning of the century AD and even earlier, India and its surrounding areas were described as always experiencing crises and prolonged social conflicts.At that time there were many clashes between ethnic groups (the Caka, Pahiava, Yueh Chi, Yavana and Malaya) with successive wins and losses. The wave of inter-tribal power struggles ultimately caused this religious life to fluctuate.
After a very long dispute between those tribes, the Caka tribe was finally won under the leadership of King Kaniskha I who was crowned King and descendant of Caka on the 1st (one day after Tilem (dead moon) month 1 (Caitramasa) 01 Caka year, in March 78 AD.
Under The King Kanishka I leadership war between tribes and different religions ended. The king has succeeded to unite the nations. To commemorate the good things that happened under the leadership of King Kanishka I, the Nyepi Day was created. Since then, the life of the state, society and religion in India has been reorganised.
The main purpose of Nyepi Day is to pray before God Almighty, to purify Bhuana Alit (human realm/microcosmos) and Bhuana Agung (universe/macrocosmos).
On the Nyepi day in Bali, Hindus and all people living in Bali have to stay at home in silence starting from 06.00 AM to 06.00 AM day after (24 hours). According to Hindu’s belief there are 4 rules and mostly are prohibition to do something that must be obeyed by all people in Bali during the Nyepi Day. Those rules are Amati Geni or prohibition to light fire, candle or any illumination including use of electricity. The second rule is Amati Lelanguan a prohibition for anyone to engage in extravagant activities or have excessive fun. Usually, this rule is followed by full fasting during Nyepi Day. Third rule is Amati Karya which means no working activity, and the last rule is Amati Lelungaan or prohibition to travel to other places, or to go outside the house. However, What makes Nyepi so special in Bali is that during this day no activities can be done, even the harbour and airport are closed for 24 hours. All roads both in the city and rural areas are empty, no cars and humans, you can only see the Pecalang (Balinese Traditional Security) walking around to make sure everyone honours the rule. Special permits are usually given for emergency situations and the Hospital becomes the only place that is still open during Nyepi Day.
Like other celebrations of religious holidays, Nyepi also has a series of ceremonies that have been carried out before and after the day:
Three or two days before Nyepi day, people in Bali should have a Melasti ceremony. This ceremony is usually held in all villages in Bali almost at the same time. Melasti is a procession symbol of purification. During Melasti or Mekiyis all symbols and prayer facilities at the temple will be brought to the sea or lake to wish for purification. Hindus believe that sea and lake are symbols of holy water (air suci) that belief can purify all visible and invisible dirt. People then pray on the beach to wish for purification for the universe and themselves before the coming of the New Year.
A day before the Nyepi day, all Balinese people will hold a “Buta Yadnya” (this is a kind of ceremony dedicated to neutralise bad power and spirit around us as well as in this universe, turns all the bad become a positive energy) ceremony in their houses as a symbol of purification before entering the new year. For a bigger environment, this ceremony is held in a city square conducted by the local government attended by people in the city. In the evening there will be a big parade of giant statues. Usually the statue will take a profile of demon and freaking faces as a symbol of bad behaviour of humans that need to be destroyed before entering the new year. That is why all the giant statues will be burnt out after the parade. This all procession is called “pengerupukan”
A day after a silence day on Nyepi Day, all activities will start again at 06.00 in the morning. People start to go out and do their activities as normal. After a day with no cars and traffic jams, the sky looks prettier and the air feels fresher. On this day people usually seek a place to do a purification such as bathing on the beaches or natural fountains. After that they will visit families and relatives.
