We're headed tonight into Nyepi, the day of silence wherein everyone must stay in his home, refrain from using electricity or fire of any kind, and be silent. This starts officially at 6 am tomorrow morning and the silence extends to 6 am the following day.
First, however, the Ogoh-Ogoh haunt the land, represented by grotesque figures symbolizing evil, the forces of malice and dissention and destruction. I have heard, however, that there will be no Ogoh-Ogoh parades tonight, in observance of the ever tightening restrictions on public gatherings, given the emergent situation with coronavirus. So apparently it is okay to swim in a crowd of people at the immigration office, but not to attend a parade. But oh well … the Ogoh-Ogoh are probably carriers of the virus anyway. In fact, the symbolize such things.
The good news is that they are this night defeated by the forces of good, for Nyepi itself celebrates this victory over every kind of chaos and catastrophe.
So people will indeed stay inside tomorrow--or at least within the confines of their hotels or villas--and they will be for the most part silent. Silent because they are using earphones, or have the sound turned very low on the television or the laptop, and the windows curtained to hide the telltale transgression. And a lot of candles will be in use as well. I myself have one ready to go.
First, however, the Ogoh-Ogoh haunt the land, represented by grotesque figures symbolizing evil, the forces of malice and dissention and destruction. I have heard, however, that there will be no Ogoh-Ogoh parades tonight, in observance of the ever tightening restrictions on public gatherings, given the emergent situation with coronavirus. So apparently it is okay to swim in a crowd of people at the immigration office, but not to attend a parade. But oh well … the Ogoh-Ogoh are probably carriers of the virus anyway. In fact, the symbolize such things.
The good news is that they are this night defeated by the forces of good, for Nyepi itself celebrates this victory over every kind of chaos and catastrophe.
So people will indeed stay inside tomorrow--or at least within the confines of their hotels or villas--and they will be for the most part silent. Silent because they are using earphones, or have the sound turned very low on the television or the laptop, and the windows curtained to hide the telltale transgression. And a lot of candles will be in use as well. I myself have one ready to go.
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