Nyepi Day - March 19th 2007
Nyepi Day is the Balinese New Year’s Day based on the Balinese Saka calendar system which has it’s origins in South India. There are 12 lunar months which end on a new moon called Tilem. Nyepi Day is actually the 1st day of the 10th lunar month of this calendar and is an important religious day. It is also Bali’s annual day of silence where all shops are closed and no one is supposed to be seen out on the streets. The purpose of this is to make it appear to the evil spirits that everyone has abandoned Bali. Seeing this, they too will leave…. Yes, so you will be safe … from the evil spirits at least.
The day before Nyepi is called Tawur Kesanga and the day when exorcisms are carried out at the main village crossroads which is where the demons supposedly meet. This is when many Ogoh-Ogoh are carried through the town in a carnival like atmosphere. Since they represent the evil spirits, they all look frighteningly ugly with fangs and bulging eyes. At night the Ogoh-Ogoh are set on fire to free the island of the evil spirits.
Walking around the streets in Ubud, you’ll see how imaginative the Balinese really are. You’ll be amazed at these towering paper mache monsters. Wait a minute… was that Ogoh-ogoh clad in a Spider man outfit? Is that Darf Vader under those trees over there? No you are not seeing things, they are all there on Nyepi Day … under a Balinese mask.
Update 20th March : View images of the Ogoh-ogoh procession in Ubud
