THE DAY OF SILENCE ( NYEPI DAY )

New Year’s day is perhaps the oddest day in Bali. On this day, throughout the island, silence is observed and inactivity reigns supreme. Also called Nyepi Day, the Balinese Day of Silence, New Year’s day fall on the day following the dark moon of the spring equinox, and opens a new year of the Saka Hindu era which began in 78 A.D

On Nyepi day, which starts with sunrise, don’t expect to be able to do anything. You will have to stay in your hotel. No traffic is allowed, not only of cars, but also of people, who have to stay in their individual houses. Light is kept to a minimum, radio turned down, and no one works, of course.

The day of Silence is a symbolic replay of these philosophical principles. At the beginning of the year, the world is “clean”. The previous days, all the effigies of the gods from all the village temples have been taken to the river in long and colorful ceremonies. There they have been bathed by the Neptunus of Balinese lore, the god Baruna, before being taken back to residence in their shrines of origin.

The day before Nyepi, all villages have also held a large exorcist ceremony at the main village crossroad, the meeting place of the demons. And, at night all demons of the Bali world were let loose on the roads in a carnival of fantastic monster, the Ogoh-ogoh.

The parade is held over Bali after sunset. All the Banjar neighborhoods and hundreds of youth associations make their own Ogoh-ogoh monster. Some are giants from the classical Balinese lore, while other are guitarists, biker or even AIDS microbes. All with fangs, bulging eyes and scary hair, illuminated by torches and with the accompaniment of the most demonic gamelan music (bleganjur) of the Balines repertoire. They surge suddenly by hundreds from every street, some more “horrible” than the others; each carried on the shoulder of four to thirty youths, jerking this way or that way so as to give the impression of dance, or suddenly turning in a circle, much to the fascination of the spectators.

And, believe it, this is not small “procession” : it last for three to four hour, as if Bali has an inexhaustible pool of demon. No more than it gods and goddeses for sure.

Thus, on silences day, the world is clean and everything starts new, with Man showing his symbolic control over himself and the “force” of the World. Hence the mandatory religious rohibitions of mati lelangon (no pleasure), mati lelungan (no traffic), mati geni (no fire), and mati pekaryan (no work).

TRADITIONAL VILLAGES AND CUSTOMS

The soul of Bali lies in its villages which function as important religious and social institutions. The layout of a typical Balinese village follows a set pattern that achieves harmony between man and nature.

In particular, spatial arrangement of the components of a village such as temples, rice fields and cemeteries are made with reference to the two important point of kaja (or mountain ward) and kelod (or sea ward).

The Balinese desa (village) is typically host to a set of three villages temples.

Called the kahyangan tiga, these three temples are specifically defined as to function and location. The pura puseh or “temple of origin” lies facing kaja (or mountain ward), where the tutelary gods of the village and its founders are worshipped. Facing kelod (or se ward) stands pura dalem, where the forces of death and the unpurified soul are worshipped, and nearby which lies the cemetery. In between the pura puseh and pura dalem lies the pura desa, where the “Lord of the territory” (sane nruwenang jagad) is worshipped and where the meetings of the village assembly and the rituals of fertility are held. Clustered around the pura desa are groupings of houses or banjar.

The temples are at the heart of Balinese life. They have their anniversary every 210 days, when the gods come down for visit, during which they are welcomed by dance, “feted” with offerings and provided with a symbolic resting place. It is when the village comes to life, and color takes it over.

Beside the temple anniversaries, Bali has two sets of island-wide festivals which correspond to the “new years” of the two Balinese calendars : The Nyepi of the lunar-solar Saka year and The Galungan of the 210-day Pawukon calendar.

CYCLE OF LIFE ( Part. 4 )

The Balines death is but a return to your origins. The preceding wheels of one’s life are the way to ultimate release.

Not all corpses are cremated immediately, as some wait for an auspicious day, a collective ceremony or until their descendants have enough money to perform the rites. The cremation ritual is a reminder of the cosmic symbolism of life.

The tower is a duplicate of the cosmos; the corpse is put in the middle, symbolizing its position between the spiritual and human worlds. The sarcophagus, in which the body is burned, is a vehicle to take the soul away.

The ashes are collected and taken to the sea. It is here that the soul passes through hell to be tortured and cleansed. The soul is then called back on shore and eventually taken back to Mother Mountain, Gunung Agung. The soul is then enshrined in the family temple and the dead is now an ancestor, until the next incarnation.

CYCLE OF LIFE ( Part. 3 )

The Balinese marriage ceremony is no less complex. It is preceded by engagement of mepandik during which the couple falsely elope, and are supported by a group of accomplices, who protect the couple during their honeymoon. After three days, they are considered man and wife. The ploy is a serious one as the girl’s parents may be furious and refuse their blessing.

The wedding ceremony follows in a more formal manner. It emphasizes that one’s desires, while being exercised, should at the same time be kept under tight control. The climax of the wedding ritual, Maskapan, is meant to appease the earthly forces or buta sor, which are the origin of desires and temptation.

CYCLE OF LIFE ( Part. 2 )

The gods and deified ancestors will descend occasionally to earth during temple ceremonies to partake of offerings and enjoy entertainment. When souls are ready to re-incarnate on earth, they will come from the mountains above or straight from hell.

That is why the mountains is revered as the Holy Place.

The religious rites of the Balinese consist of the human rites (manusa yadnya), the rites of the dead (pitra yadnya), rites of the gods or temple rites (dewa yadnya), rites of demonic forces (buta yadnya) and ordainment rites (rsi yadnya).

Each phase of a person’s life, from pregnancy to birth and birth to death, will be accompanied by rituals, which are performed specifically on certain occasions or at any time whenever the need arises. Holy water, fire, ash, geese, duck, eggs, and dabdab tree leaves are the purifying elements used in the rituals.

The manusa yadnya rites include birth rites. The seventh month of pregnancy is the time for the housing of the soul or Megedong-Gedongan ceremony, when the soul is bound within the womb.

CYCLE OF LIFE ( Part. 1 )

Balinese Hindus believe that when a person dies, the soul passes into another body, where it is in torment because of evil deeds accumulated in its present and past lives. To cleanse the impurity of the soul, rituals are continually performed throughout the person’s life. The soul will constantly seek to free itself from this cycle of life until it attains enlightenment or moksa.

The process of incarnation is both human and cosmic, starting from love. The union of a man and woman is that of purusa and pranada (the male and female principle respectively) and the cosmic energy of Asmara, the God of love, and Ratih, the goddess of the moon. In their sexual love are united the red and white elements of desire (kamabang/kama petak), symbol of male sperm and female ovula. The eventual merging of the two kamas begets what is often called “The Godly Fetus” or Sanghyang Jabang Bayi, as the soul originates from the heavenly world. A child is called “Dewa” or little god during his first year of life.

Balinese believe that the mountains are the abodes of the gods, deified ancestors and souls which did not attain moksa.

OVERVIEW OF BALI ( Part. 3 )

While in Bali, you may choose to participate in this magic by visiting one of the large number of temples, with ancient Hindu carved in huge slabs of stone. Or you may be lucky enough to have the opportunity to observe a temple festival or public cremation. You will, most likely, also want to at least see one of Bali’s famous dances.

Grab the opportunity if you can, to see the graceful welcoming dance, in which young girls tilt their heads and move rhythmically to the gamelan beat, sharing their flower offerings with all. Another must see is the kecak dance, a hypnotic chant performed by scores of men circled around a fire, where scenes from the Ramayana are re-enacted. Or the legong dance, which includes a series of different dance scenes and styles, is always worthwhile.

Wherever you are, and whatever you choose to do, enjoy the warm smiles and open embrace of a people who appreciate their whole way of life and would love to share some of its magic with you.

The traditional prayer position of the hands and bow from the heart are welcoming gestures designed to recognize and honor your soul, and they are a true indication of your importance as a visitor to Bali. “Selamat datang”, you are always very welcome in Bali.

OVERVIEW OF BALI ( Part. 2 )

The people of Bali, as diverse as the geography of the different regions and yet united by their strong religious beliefs, draw their strength and their meaning from this wonderful environment.

The mountains are the focus of daily activities, with holy mount Agung as the great heavenward inspiration. All villages, temples, family compounds, house and furniture arrangements are designed to face “kaja”, or towards the mountains. The seaward direction “kelod”, on the other hand, is considered to be less sacred and at times impure, although the sea itself is not considered to be propane.

Mountain slopes provide the ideal setting for the luminous terrace rice paddies, which then transform to become vast paddies fields. The Balinese have an ingenious irrigation system which keeps these paddies well watered, and the rich nutrients from the volcanic ash ensure these fields are also well fertilized.

Rice is the staple food for Balinese people, and sampling the steamed rice (nasi putih), red rice (nasi merah), or even colored yellow rice (nasi kuning) is a must. Or try a mixed rice dish served with different condiments (nasi campur) or fried rice (nasi goreng), even some sticky rice patties. Rice also has sacred significance, and it is offered back to the Gods in the form brightly colored cake, or even simply as a few grains sprinkled on a banana leaf. Dewi Sri, the Balinese goddess, features strongly in local mythology and religious observance, and she often appears as a “cili” figure cut and bound from rice stalks.