Aussies forced to remain indoors as Bali comes to 'standstill'
Tourists were not permitted to leave their accommodation or even turn on a light last Saturday in Bali as the entire island came to a "standstill" for Nyepi Day — a Hindu cleansing celebration that wards off bad spirits for the year ahead.
It's the second time Sydney man Brad Newman has experienced the event also known as Bali's Day of Silence. The stark difference between Bali's usual chaos to only hearing a few bird chirps over a 24 hour period is an "absolutely crazy" experience, he told Yahoo News.
"You basically can't hear anything, maybe some birds and sometimes roosters. But there's no cars on the streets and no one is allowed to leave their house at all," he said. "No lights are allowed on. No cooking. No music. They turn the internet off and the airport is closed."
Almost total stillness across the island.
Brad now resides in Bali with his partner and two children, however last year they were staying in a resort during Nyepi Day and were practically locked inside, with staff covering windows and glass doors with garage bags to prevent light from spilling out onto the street.
Images from Nyepi Day show no movement, light or sound in the streets of Bali as locals and tourists honoured the spiritual practice that marks the start of the Balinese Saka New Year.
"Leading up to the day the streets are really quiet and most shops close. And the week after, everything is quieter and the banks are still closed," Brad explained.
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Bali's Day of Silence was designed to encourage self-reflection among Balinese people as well as all those visiting the hugely popular tourist island. The quiet, empty streets are a stark comparison to the normal bustle of Bali and that is the point, Henry Hooper from travel advisory agency Klook told Yahoo News.
"Tourists should embrace the spiritual Nyepi Day experience while visiting Bali as the rules of the celebration apply to visitors as much as the locals," he said. "This means, for one day, visitors to the island can take this time to make the most of their resort and enjoy some time relaxing, and maybe even some meditative thinking of their own."
Brad is also a Nyepi Day enthusiast and believes the tradition should be adopted in other countries too.
"It would be good to see it all over the world," he said. "It's incredible."
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