Bali Turns Into Ghost Town As Nyepi Is Observed

Denpasar, Bali - Bali`s normally bustling streets and beaches resembled a ghost town on Thursday as all activities were put on hold for the Hindu Day of Silence, ushering in the Saka New Year.

For 24 hours, the popular resort island observed Nyepi, the Balinese Hindu ritual that proscribes complete silence and puts prohibitions on worldly distractions such as work, travel, entertainment — and even tourism.

In Kuta, for instance, not a single visitor, local or foreign, was seen bathing or sunning on the beach, and all restaurants, bars and shops shut their doors for the day. Only groups of pecalang, or traditional security guards, were seen roaming Bali`s neighbourhoods, ensuring public observance of the prohibitions.

“In addition to keeping security, the purpose of the patrol is to warn visitors who stray into the streets,” said Balinese customary law authority secretary Kuta Made Gunawan.

All entry points to the island were also closed, including Ngurah Rai International Airport and the Gilimanuk and Padang Bai ports.

Hotels and inns though, for the most part, were full of guests — especially bored locals tired of staying at home while Nyepi was in effect. Most arrived on Wednesday night and checked out on Friday, as most hotels offered special packages for the holiday.

Putu Hartawan Kusuma, executive assistant manager at Hotel Adi Jaya in Kuta, said occupancy rates were about 90 percent.

While Nyepi was in effect, guests were advised not to leave the hotel`s yard and were only allowed to use minimal lighting, and listen to music and watch TV at the lowest volume.

Nevertheless, Ari Dewi, a tourist from Malang, East Java Province, said she enjoyed the experience. “At first I felt that I was unprepared for it, but then I thought there`s no harm in trying not to go out, not taking any transportation or not enjoying entertainment for a day,” she said. “In the end it turned out to be fun.”

As many as 5,700 police officers were on standby to safeguard Nyepi, but did not have a chance to go out of their base.

“We only go out if there`s an emergency,” Denpasar Police Chief Sr. Comr. Gede Alit Widana said.

In the lead up to the Nyepi celebration, Hindus flocked to the beaches on Monday for the Melasti cleansing ritual before the Malam Pengerupukan was supposed to be held on Wednesday, marked with a procession of ogoh-ogoh, or ogre effigies.

This year, the official ogoh-ogoh procession was not held as agreed upon by Hindu leaders following security concerns ahead of the April 9 polls, but a number of groups still held variations of the procession in some places.

The Nyepi celebration officially started at sunrise on Thursday, and finished at 6 a.m. today. Miftachul Chusna

Source: TheJakartaGlobe.com (March 26^th, 2009)
Photo: Google.com

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