Nyepi day is one of the biggest and most important Balinese religious days held once in a year. There are some sequences ceremonies in Nyepi day.
Melasti or Mekiyis or Melis
Melasti is the first sequences and it is held three or four days before Nyepi (silent day) and aimed to clean the nature with its content and also to take the Amerta (holy water) from the ocean or other water resources (i.e. lake, river, etc). On this interesting occasion, all the effigies of the Gods from all the village temples are taken to the river in long and colorful ceremonies. There, they have are bathed by the Neptune of the Balinese Lord, the God Baruna, before being taken back home to their shrines. Several communal prayers will also be held until the last evening before the Nyepi day.
Tawur Kesanga (The day before Nyepi)
It is the second sequences and held exactly one day before Nyepi. All villages in Bali hold a large exorcism ceremony at the main village cross road, the meeting place of demons.
The remarkable event on this day is Ogoh Ogoh. It is a fantastic monster or evil spirits by Bhuta Kala made by Bamboo with colorful paper and symbolize the evil spirits surrounding the environment which have to be got rid off from our lives. In order to make a harmonic relation between human being and God, human and human, and human and their environments, Tawur Kesanga is performed in every level of society, from the people's house. In the evening, the Hindus celebrating Ngerupuk, start making noises and light burning torches and set fire to the Ogoh-ogoh in order to get the Bhuta Kala, evil spirits, out of our lives.
The Nyepi Day, the silence day
Nyepi, comes from the word Bahasa ‘sepi’ is as its meaning ‘quite’ and it is the peak of the festive. According to the Balinese calendar, this year, Nyepi Day falls on March 19, 2006. In the caka calendar, it is 1929. The activities in entire over Bali Island are stopped for 24 hours. There are four mandatory religious prohibitions called Catur Brata Penyepian that should be followed by common Hindu people in Bali. The prohibitions include amati geni or no fire, amati karya or no work, amati lelanguan or no entertainment and pleasure, and amati lelungan or no travelling. These prohibitions help people to control their five earthy senses by mind and wisdom in order to increase the quality of life for the upcoming year. For people with higher spiritual ability or willing to have higher spiritual life are expected to perform further prohibitions include fasting by not eating or drinking, stay still by not talking, meditating by focusing the mind to the God and praying. For the hospital industry such as hotel or villas, they are in service but no outdoor activities are allowed and the guests are asked to stay inside the hotel.
Ngembak Geni, a day of forgiveness
The anti-climax of Nyepi day is on the following day and when the Berata Penyepian is over. This day is called Ngembak Geni where people share happiness by visiting their relatives and friend. The New Year is started by forgiving each other and forget the hate in the past year and work together to face the challenge of the New Year. Only a simple ritual rite is performed within the house compound for this day. However, various cakes will be made to welcome the visit of relatives and friends.
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