Bali’s Day of Silence
March 19, 2014 – 4:01 pm
Nyepi is a “Day of Silence” that is commemorated every New Year according to the Balinese calendar and this year it falls on March 31. It is a Hindu celebration that is mainly celebrated on the Indonesian island of Bali, and it is marked with strict silence, fasting and meditation.
For 24 hours everything on the island will be closed with no one permitted on the streets, with the exception of emergency vehicles. This enforcement begins from 6am on 31 March and continues until 6am on 1 Apr 2014. April 1st is also a public holiday after the enforcement has been lifted at 6am.
Although Nyepi is a Hindu holiday, non-Hindu residents of the island and tourists are not exempt. Although they are free to do as they wish inside their hotels, no one is allowed on the beaches or streets and the only airport in Bali remains closed for the entire day. The only exceptions granted are for emergency vehicles carrying those with life-threatening conditions and women about to give birth.
