臺北市新住民專區網站英文版

By Chou Su-Yu (Indonesian new immigrant)

                                                        Nyepi (a Day of Silence)
 
    When I was a tour guide in Indonesia, I would take tourists to beautiful Bali to experience Nyepi. Nyepi is the New Year holiday in the Hindu religion, and the date is based on the Shaka calendar. In 2020, the dates of Nyepi are Mar. 25 and 26. The celebration for Nyepi is very unique and quite different from the hustling and bustling of Taiwan’s Lunar New Year. It is a day of silence in which the celebration is carried out in quietness without any activities. All participants will meditate and reflect on their own behavior in the past year, and they are forbidden from drinking, eating, working, and entertainment activities. The purpose of this ritual is to purify the body and soul and get closer to god.
 
The Tawur Kesanga ceremony is held the day before Nyepi. For Tawur Kesanga, every village uses bamboo, paper and polystyrene foam boards to create decorations or statues known as ogoh-ogoh, which translates to “giant monsters.” Then, on the day of the Tawur Kesanga ceremony, the people of Bali bring out their monsters while holding torches and parade through the streets to the sounds of drums. The ceremony starts at 6 pm and lasts until 12 am. At the end of the ceremony, the ogoh-ogoh are set on fire, symbolizing the casting away of monsters and ensuring they will not interfere with the next day’s Nyepi celebration.
During Nyepi, all forms of transportation other than ambulances and police cars are suspended. In 2018, the internet was even shout down on the entire island, except in hospitals and police stations. The reason for shutting down the internet is to cast out monsters and demons.
 
The day after Nyepi is called Ngembak Geni. To start the new year, on Ngembak Geni people on the island visit their family and friends and apologize to each other, seeking forgiveness for the wrong things they have done to each other in the past year.
 
    The drum-driven monster parade is a truly impressive sight. The rhythm of traditional Bali music is unique, and the images of different monsters are stunning. Bali’s population is mostly Hindi, but there are also believers of other religions living on the island. As long as other residents and travelers keep quiet during Nyepi, all activities can continue as usual. While living in Taiwan for the last 13 years, whenever I see a friend getting burned out by life, I always suggest that they travel to Bali to experience Nyepi. The time spent without mobile phones, internet, and television, can help them rediscover their serenity.