UBUD, BALI: A CELEBRATION OF SPIRITS & SILENCE

Despite its reputation as a party island, much of Bali is shrouded in ancient tradition. The country’s most sacred Hindu festival — Nyepi, or ‘Day of Silence’ — takes over the town of Ubud each year

- SACHA SCOGING

‘Stay indoors. Everything is closed. Remain silent,’ are the words stamped in bold on my hostel door. I’m struggling to decipher the cryptic commands when Mr Padi, a plump character who seems to be the only staff member at Padi-Padi Backpackers, walks in and says: “You buy all supplies tonight. Tomorrow, everything shut. Bali shut. Tomorrow, silent day.” Silent day? What is silent day? I haven’t travelled halfway across the world to be silent.

I’m in Ubud, Bali’s spiritual heartland, and it turns out I’ve unknowingly stumbled across one of the most significant and sacred Hindu festivals on the island, Nyepi — a sixday celebration that ushers in the Saka New Year. Tonight is Nyepi Eve, so I’ve already missed two important rituals: Melasti, where whole villages congregate to purify religious temple objects with water from sacred springs; and the Bhuta Yajna, where livestock are sacrificed to appease the gods, vanquish negative elements and create a balance between mankind and nature.

‘Nyepi’ (meaning ‘to keep silent’) falls on the third day of the festivities and brings the entire island to a standstill. For 24 hours, Bali turns offall lights and sounds, stops all traffic, deserts all worldly activities, meditates and slips into an almost comatose state.