Tari, Grade 11, Manikaji school
As Hindus in Bali, we have a unique tradition of celebrating special days, including “Nyepi day” (day of silence) which is celebrated every year ( https://www.cnn.com/travel/nyepi-silence-day-bali-intl-hnk/index.html ). This time the celebration falls on March 11. What makes this celebration special is the implementation of "Catur Brata" or the four prohibitions that must be followed by all Hindus, as part of the celebration of the 1946 Caka New Year in the Hindu calendar. The prohibitions include: not lighting fires, not doing physical work, not leaving the house, and not celebrating or having fun with others.
Because of these restrictions, we prepared all our needs the day before. This includes finding grass for animal feed, preparing food for the family, and praying together to be protected by God during Nyepi.
Nyepi celebrations not only take place in Bali, but are also followed by Hindus throughout Indonesia. For non-Hindu people living in Bali, they must also follow these rules, to maintain harmony between others, because the majority of the population on this island adheres to Hinduism.
I hope that the Nyepi tradition can be adopted by the global community, so that we can all pause for 24 hours to save the universe and all its species.
* Click here on how to support us: https://www.eastbalipovertyproject.org/fundraising