On Monday, March 11, 2024, the entire population of Bali will open the BALINESE new year with a day of complete silence and deep introspection.

That’s right. The entire island is blissfully silent. The streets are empty and silent, with the exception of a few dogs barking and birds singing. People don’t leave their house. They don’t work. They do not participate in any activity other than spiritual practice, meditation, or introspection. Many people even fast for the whole day!

For those looking at this special occasion from the outside, this day may sound challenging, fascinating, mystical or intriguing altogether!

So here’s the scoop — why and how the Balinese celebrate this occasion, and how you can participate!

Leading up to the formal day of silence, the Balinese undergo three or four colorful days of unique ceremony and ritual with symbols that help to concentrate the mind in order to become closer to their Spiritual Source, the One Eternal Consciousness that exists in all Beings everywhere.

Nyepi is a day to focus upon and maintain the delicate balance of nature. The colorful ceremonies aim to cleanse and purify nature in all its forms. They take water (known as Amrta or Tirtha— the source for eternal life) from the ocean, rivers, lakes or other holy water sources. The Pedandas and Mankus (holy people) then use this water for special ceremony and blessings. Temple accessories and statues of the Gods and Goddesses from all the village temples are brought in long and colorful processions to the ocean, springs, lakes or rivers to be bathed and blessed by nature’s invisible forces with extensive and elaborate ceremonies. You’ll see many devotional parades accompanied by the music of the unique Gamelan orchestra and followed by villagers dressed in traditional temple clothes.

For many months before Nyepi day, talented Balinese people from every village craft remarkable, monstrous looking sculptures that they call Ogoh-Ogoh. These comical monsters typically have thick fangs, bulging eyes, messy hair and are symbols of the shadow aspects of life and are representations of the negativities of the human mind like anger, greed, lust, jealousy and pride.

The night before Nyepi Day, the Balinese partake in several communal prayers to cleanse all impurities from the mind, body and nature. They parade the ugly demon statue around in the streets and play music to symbolically ‘evoke’ these shadow aspects.

Then finally, when dusk arrives, the Ogoh-Ogoh is set ablaze by torches and ceremonially burnt to the ground, bringing nature and people back to their original nature or Dharma, so all may live in peace and harmony for a brand new year.

On Nyepi day itself, every street is quiet – no one is doing normal daily activities. Street traffic is not allowed; no cars, no motorbikes, nor people – all are expected to stay in their own houses. Light is kept to a minimum or turned off completely, the internet is not accessible and radios & TV’s are turned off and, of course, no one works.

On Nyepi the island is expected to be pure and clean and everything starts anew.

The Balinese people spend this day in spiritual practices of introspection, meditation, prayer and performing unique rituals and ceremonies on behalf of creating balance within and without for the peace, harmony and spiritual remembrance of all of humanity.