Balinese New Year, known as Nyepi, will take place on Tuesday 16 March 2010. Local custom requires that all people in Bali observe a day of silence from 6am on Tuesday 16 March 2010 until 6am Wednesday 17 March 2010. Authorities require that all people in Bali stay indoors, make no noise and switch off all lights for the duration of this period. The Balinese Hindus consider “Nyepi” to be the most important day on the religious calendar and these prohibitions are taken very seriously.
During this 24-hour period, tourists must remain in their hotels and should seek the advice of hotel management regarding movement around the hotel grounds. Balinese across the island strictly observe this tradition and people leaving their homes or hotels between 6am on Tuesday 16 March and 6am on Wednesday 17 March risk being forcibly returned to their homes or hotels by Balinese traditional village level security personnel (Pecalang). Read the rest of this entry »