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Balinese people celebrate their Caka New Year in absolutely different kind of style. Far from hearty-party to welcome a new year like other new year eve celebrations, the Caka New Year always welcomed with silence; no sound, no light, no fun, no traveling and no work at all during the whole day. People spend the whole day to pray, introspect to themselves, meditate, and fasting. This year, Nyepi day will be on March 7.
The Nyepi (Silence day) will be preceded with several ceremonies, like melis or mekiyis a purification ceremony held in welcoming Nyepi day ,a long procession of Hindu followers carrying temple effigies and other sacred symbols, heading to beaches or springs where the purification rituals are held.
It will be quite a view, two days prior the Nyepi to find that every beaches in Bali crowded by people with their sacred symbols, music, dancers and followers. Balinese people unconcerned over the fact that the beaches also crowded with tourists which watch them keenly over the whole proceedings.
One day prior the Nyepi day, it will be held a Tawur Agung Kesanga (Great Sacrifice ceremony) to welcome Nyepi day. The ceremony is focused, at every cross-roads in Bali. The ritual is followed by Pengrupukan, procession "Ogoh-Ogoh" (monster replica) symbolizing evil spirit and torches around the villages and towns as to exorcise them away from people' residences . So that those evil spirits will not disturb the process of the Caka New Year.
The Ogoh-ogoh procession will be held at evening. The monster replicas were made for a whole full month and made from bamboo, papers, cloths, paints, and other materials to create a very huge and fearsome monster. The Ogoh-ogoh will be lifting by a group of young men, parade it around the town, to every cross-roads while other groups bringing torches.
However, unwanted and unfortunate incidents often happened during the procession, like street-brawls between two different groups of young men.
After all the noise and rumbling procession through the night, the Nyepi day will be very quiet like in the tombs. Bali government released several regulation concerned over the Nyepi day procedure in Bali.
* People will not allowed to go out during the day unless it matter of urgency and emergency.
* No flight out of Bali for the day, unless flight into and transit flight to Bali, and transit passengers will not be allowed to wander off the airport and they must stay at airport until tomorrow.
* Harbors and terminals are closed for the day. Every ships and ferries out from Bali and into Bali have to be delayed for the day after.
* Hospitals, police stations, fire stations and ambulances are still on duty.
Experience Nyepi Day in Bali
For people and expatriates who wants to experience the Nyepi Day traditionally at home rather than escape to convenient hotels should follows these tips below:
* Don't make any noise out of your domain (from your television, your radio or your i-pod) better if you restrain your pets inside.
* You may go out to your veranda, to your garden, but don't go to the main street.
* Don't cook any food that may release strong odors in the air, it will disrupt your neighborhood
* When the night fall, don't lit the garden, veranda and garage lights, close all your heavy curtains to avoid any light seep out the windows, or you may join other to light out your lamps.
* Prepare and ensure your larder full for three days and two nights (or you'll get famish for the rest of the day), candles, torches, and spare batteries.
* Ensure your cellular phone battery is full
* Make note for emergency telephone numbers such nearest police station, nearest hospitals, and fire department and put them near your telephone device or input those numbers into your cell phone.
* Plan carefully if you want to travel out from Bali. Don't wait up until the last minute, or you may be stranded at airport or forced to seek nearest accommodation in the harbors.
Many people and expatriates choose to spend their Nyepi day holiday in a hotel or a villa that offers convenience for three days two nights packages with competitive prices. Those hotels offers services, activities and competitive price and you can fill your day with your favorite activities with fantastic cheaper price.
When the new dawn break after the Nyepi Day, the air of Bali Island will be very cool and fresh, just like the air in the high mountain with morning dew and let us experience the luxury feeling after the a full day and night in silence and without emission release to the air.
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