Bali shuts down on Day of Silence

Bali shuts down on Day of Silence

JAKARTA (JP): The Island of Bali, Indonesia's most famous holiday destination, virtually turned into a ghost town yesterday as the predominantly Hindu islanders observed the Day of Silence.

The streets were deserted except for the few licensed buses driving tourists around and emergency vehicles.

The usual hustle and bustle was replaced by an almost deafening silence.

The streets were deserted and the heavy pollution from vehicle exhaust lifted.

Sunbathers, swimmers and local hawkers kept off of the beaches in Kuta, Sanur and Nusa Dua.

Yesterday marked the change of the Bali Hindu Saka Year, from the year 1916 to 1917. On this new year, popularly known as Nyepi (Day of Silence), Hindu Balinese must refrain from doing earthly activities for 24 hours.

Apart from meditating, the Hindus must observe four "Don'ts" on this day: Don't burn a fire or light, don't do any activity, don't leave the house and don't indulge in any entertainment.

All lights were turned off on Friday night. All cars were parked in garages or on side streets. And televisions were not switched on all day yesterday.

To ensure compliance, village officers, wearing traditional Bali garb, patrolled the streets and questioned anyone found venturing outside their home, according to Antara.

I Made Wendra, a patrol officer in Kuta, said this year the observance of Nyepi on his beat was much better.

Kuta is one of the most popular resorts in Bali and is filled with restaurants and nightclubs.

Tourists heeded the government's request to respect the Hindu religious rite by confining themselves inside their hotel compounds.

Even Ngurah Rai airport, which is normally busy with arriving and departing tourists, was much quieter yesterday as most people respected the government's appeal not to travel on this particular day.

The few tourists who did arrive yesterday faced a long wait for a bus or taxi.

According to Antara, there are 365,000 vehicles registered in Bali. The Regency Administration of Badung only issued 205 special passes for vehicles to operate on Saturday. Denpasar, the capital of Bali, issued 225.

The passes were mainly issued to tour operators and hotels, and were to be used strictly to transport tourists between hotels and the airport.

Ferry services between Banyuwangi, East Java and Gilimanuk in Bali also stopped yesterday. (emb)