Jokowi Delivers Nyepi Day Greeting to Hindus in Indonesia

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Indonesia's President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Sunday sent a special message to the Hindus in Indonesia who are observing the Day of Silence or locally known as Nyepi.

The resort island of Bali is gearing up to take a break for 24 hours to observe Nyepi. All-access to the predominantly Hindu island, including I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport and all seaports, will be shut down from 6 am to 6 am the following day. No vehicles will be allowed on the streets except for the emergency services.

"In silence, we dive deep into the depths of ourselves, contemplate the gift of life from God," Jokowi said in his Instagram post on Sunday, March 14.

Jokowi went on to say that all people could rise and remain optimistic. Especially on the Day of Silence to release our anger and resentment.

"Shed the anger, hatred, and resentment. Build optimism and spirit," said Jokowi.

"Happy New Years' Day Nyepi Saka 1943," he added.

Meanwhile, Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas expressed hope that all Hindus in the country can explore this Nyepi Day's deepest meaning.

"We honor nature, then nature will honor the dignity of our humanity," he said.

Below are a series of events in conjunction with Nyepi:

Melasti Day

Two days before Nyepi, on the first day of a new Saka year, Hindus from different villages get-together and walk the street with long colorful processions toward the coastline to purify sacred objects that belong to several temples. At the same time, people acquire holy water from the sea.

Tawur Kesanga or Mecaru

The highlights of the day before Nyepi are the Ogoh-Ogoh parades. Ogoh-Ogoh represents evil creatures. In an attempt to end any evil influences in life, the statues are burnt after the parade.

Unfortunately, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the ogoh-ogoh parade was canceled because it was considered easy to create crowds at risk of transmission of the virus.

Nyepi Day

On this day The Balinese spending a long day in complete silence to connect more deeply with God through prayer, self-reflection, fasting, and meditation.

Ngembak Geni

A ceremony is conducted after spending the whole Day of Silence in quiet reflection. Usually, families would visit each other. In the village of Sesetan in Denpasar, there is a ritual of kissing one another carried out by Balinese youths. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the implementation of the Ngembak Geni will be a little different from previous years.

(Writers: Deti Mega Purnamasari, Syifa Nuri Khairunnisa | Editors: Dani Prabowo, Anggara Wikan Prasetya)

Sources: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/03/14/10112381/hari-raya-nyepi-2021-jokowi-ajak-masyarakat-merenungkan-karunia-hidup-dari.

https://travel.kompas.com/read/2021/03/14/111100527/rangkaian-perayaan-hari-nyepi-dan-maknanya?page=all#page2