This year Nyepi Day fell on March 16^th. It is a day in the Balinese Hindu culture where the island is silent and the people fast and meditate. It’s a day of self reflection. From 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. the next day the whole island of Bali comes to a sudden halt. Nobody is allowed to be on the streets as special officials monitor and enforce people to stay in their homes and keep silent. Everyone is restricted from work, lighting fires, using electricity, traveling, talking, any kind of self entertainment, and for some, not eating anything at all.

Nyepi is predominately a Hindu holiday, but other people who live in Bali or visit the island observe this day of silent too. They may not believe in what the day is all about, but they participate out of respect for the Hindus on the island.

For people who spent their holidays in Bali during Nyepi and did not wish to participate in keeping the day for self reflection, they were taken in consideration. They were allowed to watch television and enjoy all the amenities of their hotel or Bali villa, but they were not permitted to be out on the streets or on the beach. They had to stay in their hotels or villa in Bali. Even all the busy touristic areas that are usually jam packed with people such as Seminyak, Kuta, and Ubud became total ghost towns.

During this day of silence, no airplanes were allowed to land or take off at the Denpasar International Airport, as it was completely shut down for 24 hours. Although no one was allowed on the streets, they made special exceptions for people to be transported to the hospital for any type of serious emergencies such as women who were in labor and life threatening causes. Planes were only granted special permission to leave Bali for people who had serious traumatic injuries, which needed special attention to be flown out of the island. The only people that were allowed on the streets were what they call in Bali the Pecalang, which are security guards and police who enforce the prohibition rules.

The day after Nyepi is called Ngembak Geni. Slowly everything came back to normal, as the streets were busy again. There were many ceremonies that were performed around the island and people celebrated for accomplishing a day of total self reflection and meditation. The Balinese Hindus repented and forgave each other for all the wrong they have committed. It surely was a very festive day in Bali, Indonesia.

Have you ever been to Bali, Indonesia on the eve of Nyepi, and wondered what those scary, demonic, and monster statues were on the side of the roads? Those effigies are what the Balinese people pertain to as the Ogoh Ogoh’s. These large figures are primarily built for the Hindu Ngrupuk parade held the night before Nyepi day. This festive day is called the Balinese New Year’s Eve. Every Balinese Hindu participates in this sacred event.

The Ogoh Ogoh is usually constructed by an appointed group of talented artists in each village around Bali. They collaborate all their ideas into designing and building very intricate pieces of art. Before, they were made out of a wooden frame, woven bamboo, and paper mache. Now, they are constructing larger and stronger structures, which require the use of a metal frame, wire mesh, and sponge.

There are also Ogoh Ogoh competitions that are held for this festival in Denpasar. The youth challenge each other in constructing the best and most unique Ogoh Ogoh. This competition allows the youth of Bali to shine and show off their talents. It also gives them the opportunity to express their artsy and creativity side.

These statues are made to symbolize all the evil things that are put upon this island, such as spiritual impurities and any outside forces that cause harm or malice. They also represent Bhuta-Kala in the Hindu religion, which means eternal energy and eternal time. They are later destroyed to release all negative energy.

An Ogoh Ogoah is usually placed on a board made of wooden planks and bamboo. It stands upright on this board while it is lifted and carried by ten or more men on their shoulders. The Ogoh Ogoh is then paraded around the villages and burnt to a crisp at a near by cemetery to symbolize self purification, and also the exorcising of evil. It is an amazing sight to see and hear as the youth of the villages accompany the parade by setting off colorful flares and playing loud music.

During this celebration, the Ogoh Ogoah is turned counter clockwise about three times. They do this on the T- junction and crossroads in every village. It represents the contact of the bodies with the spirits. The Balinese people believe that if this act is done it will bamboozle the demonic spirits so that they flee and stop harming innocent human beings.

In many countries, showing public display of affection is frowned upon, but once a year the Med-Medan festival (kissing ritual event) is put on for everyone to see. This special event is only performed in one village in Bali, which is in Banjar Kaja Sesetan, Denpasar.

This fascinating and eye-catching event is held the day after Nyepi, which is known to be the “Day of Silence” for the Hindu Balinese people. During the Med-Medan festival, teenage boys and girls dressed up in beautiful ceremony clothing are lined up facing each other, with the girls on the southern side of the field and the boys on the northern side. As they stand there with pumping adrenaline running through their veins, they follow the beat of the Blenganjur instrument. The couples start to charge each other as the sounds of the Blenganjur grow faster and faster, until their puckering lips meet. The adults supervising this event act as referees. After a few minutes of intense kissing, the adults pour buckets of cold water of the teenagers until they separate. This is repeated over and over again until every person in the line gets his or her turn. Prior to the main ritual event, local villagers pay their respects, pray, and respectfully ask the gods for their blessings at the local temple. This event attracts many locals and tourists on the island, but only locals from the village of Kaja Sesetan are permitted to take part in this festival. In fact, it is mandatory for all teenagers residing in this village, to participate in Med-Medan.

The purpose of this event is to ensure protection to the village from bad happenings. The head of the Banjar in this village said that one year they decided not to have the celebration, and two pigs where found fighting each other in the field. The crazy thing about this situation was that they could not be pulled apart from each other. To him, it resembled the Med-Medan ritual and it was a way for the Gods to tell him that this event should never be missed. Ever since that incident, the festival has never been canceled. This famous ritual event may soon come to an end as the National Legislators look to shut it down. Soon, people who participate in this may be fined or even get some jail time. The local villagers still believe that if the Gods want to keep this ritual going, nothing will be able to stop it.