The complete silence today is far removed from the hullaballoo of yesterday when the parade took place. Traditionally hundreds of Ogoh-ogoh (papier-mache dolls), are carried through the streets to force the bad spirits to flee and get rid of other “bad vibes” lingering on the island.
The Balinese claim that it is a way of setting the universe to rights, restoring the balance of the universe and creating a state of “somya” (perfect peace) for today’s activities which can be described as the day they do fuck all.!
The three main gateways to Bali, Ngurah Rai International Airport, the Gilimanuk ferry crossing and the Padang Bai ferry crossing all closed either late last night or early this morning and the populace stop almost everything (this includes all activities involving lighting fires, working, traveling,looking for entertainment, watching TV, Facebook, Play Station, ripping of tourists, selling dodgy real estate and purveying the traditional salmonella flavoured satay).
As with most things in Indonesia, there is a religious body involved, the Hindu arm of the the State Department of Religious Affairs (Parisadha Hindu Dharma Indonesia), who’s job it is to oversee the celebrations.
In addition, patrols are in place, roaming both town and village, seeking silence breakers, lamp lit houses, and not surprisingly issuing fines for such infractions. It used to be that Nyepi was a day of self control and mental cleansing, it seem’s to have become considered as one Balinese put it “ an exercise in cultural discipline, and an occasion for ethnic tensions to be resolved -- at least for one day -- by the rule of law and the threat of violence.”
This religious bureaucracy is also now responsible for approving "Nyepi dispensations," allowing hospitals and ambulances to continue operations, and for monitoring air traffic control to ensure only emergency landings and take off’s at Denpasar.
Surprisingly, there is a green “plus” . The state electricity company (the same crowd that ask for a bribe to reconnect my power when they cut a cable) monitored power usage on Bali last year and calculated that the days indolence saved three billion rupiah (US$326,087), while, using the figures for transport, an estimate figures that 200,000 vehicles and 80 commercial aircrafts were prohibited from operating.
This resulted in the reduction of carbon emissions of between 20,000 and 30,000 tons.
But, all that aside, Nyepi has also become a major tourist attraction with the luxury hotels offering Nyepi packages, aimed at tourists, expats who reside in Bali (and who cannot stand the idea of a day without electricity) and ironically, wealthy Balinese whose “somya” cannot be gained in the absence of first class food and accommodation.
Best of both worlds, choose which one you want to inhabit while gaining "Carbon Credit.
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