Nyepi is a Day to be Respectful

        Nyepi is unique in the world, i recommend you to visiting Bali during Nyepi which will be an eyes opening on one of the most wonderful culture and will as well let you reconnect with your inner self during this silent day of meditation.

       On Nyepi day itself, every street is quite. There are nobody doing their normal daily activities. There is usually Pecalangs (traditional Balinese security man) who controls and checks for street security. Pecalang wear a black uniform and a Udeng or Destar (a Balinese traditional "hat" that is usually used in ceremony). The Pecalangs main task is not only to control the security of the street but also to stop any activities that disturb Nyepi. No traffic is allowed, not only cars but also people, who have to stay in their own houses. Light is kept to a minimum or not at all, the radio or TV is turned down and no one works. The whole day is simply filled with the barking of a few dogs, the shrill of insect and is a simple long quiet day in the calendar of this otherwise hectic island. On Nyepi the world expected to be clean and everything starts anew, with Man showing his symbolic control over himself and the "force" of the World, hence the mandatory religious control.

FACT ABOUT NYEPI:
1. Nyepi is preceded by the Melasti ritual (3-4 days beforehand) performed near the sea, in order to purify sacred items from the temples. Melasti is meant to clean the pratima or arca or pralingga (statue), with symbols that help to concentrate the mind in order to become closer to God. The ceremony is aimed to clean all nature and its content, and also to take the Amerta (the source for eternal life) from the ocean or other water resources (lake, river, etc). Three days before Nyepi, all the effigies of the Gods from all the village temples are taken to the river in long and colourful ceremonies. There, they have are bathed by the Neptune of the Balinese Lord, the God Baruna, before being taken back home to their shrines.

2. One million litter of fuel is saved during Nyepi’s silent day. It is also prohibited to use electricity except in hospitals.

3. CO2 emissions are drastically reduced thanks to Nyepi. However, Ogoh-ogoh are not made of bio-degradable materials (5,000 of them are paraded every year).

4. Nyepi helps to conserve the wonderful and magical Balinese culture among younger generations (Ogoh-Ogoh are mostly made by children and was introduced recently in the 1980’s).

5. During Nyepi Day's, the island is free of traffic,noise,pollution, even the airport and Bali’s aerial space is closed!

6. Nyepi is the only time of the year and only place on Earth where you can do absolutely nothing without any guilt!

7. No hotels check in or check out on Nyepi Day. No shops are opened. Make sure to have kept food at home. Some hotels also propose a “Nyepi package” including meditation.

8. Even the most popular world surf spots are empty nobody is allowed to surf. And if you stay by the beach, it will be beautiful to witness!