Last month was Balinese New Year, their annual celebration of Nyepi, Silence Day, a day reserved for self reflection and connection. The Balinese Hindus follow a ritual called the Catur Brata Penyepian, roughly the ‘Four Nyepi Prohibitions’. These include:
amati geni or ‘no fire’
amati lelungan or ‘no travel’
amati karya ‘no activity’
amati lelanguan ‘no entertainment’.
A special time for relaxation, contemplation, connecting with the Earth and giving Mother Nature a chance to ‘reboot’ herself after 364 days of human interaction. No lights are turned on, no vehicles are out on the roads. Nyepi is enjoyed amongst total darkness and seclusion, along with the new moon, celebrated island-wide, from 06:00am to 06:00am the following day.
OMSWASTIASTU ॐ