The Moment of Nyepi

Warning about Nyepi Day for Travelers to Bali at that moment because there will have a great opportunity to sense a unique and magical atmosphere when Balinese Hindus celebrate New Year Eve, known locally as Nyepi. The Nyepi Holiday (1926) Icaka New Year will fall on Sunday, March 21, 2008. All there no activity ones day.
The Nyepi Day is the day of absolute silence throughout the island when no activity is done, no traffic is seen anywhere, no fire is lit and no amusement held along the day. The observance will start before sunset on March 20, 2008 and will last until sunrise on March 22, 2008.
When the event takes place, Bali will be the only place where people are ignoring any activities the whole day. All of the flights at the International Ngurah Rai Airport, harbor and other kinds of transportation are closed all day long. Lights in public areas, corridors and balconies will be switched off. All recreational spots will be temporarily closed.
The daily grind in all over the Island is stopped for all day long. No body is allowed to go out of their house, except for men in black 'Pecalang', traditional security units in charge of keeping Bali in order during the silent day celebration.
All business enterprises, academic matters, government offices and other public services will be temporarily closed, Activities in emergency rooms and maternity section of hospitals will be allowed. Any emergencies will be taken into consideration and tolerated.
Nyepi is derived from the word 'sepi' that means silent. As a religious event of Balinese Hindus, Nyepi is a symbolical replay of these philosophical principles.
The Balinese Hindus use the Saka calendar system and the 210-day Pawukon system. The Saka calendar is a lunar system and each of the 12 lunar months ends on a new month. The calendar begins the day after the new moon that ends the ninth lunar month. This always coincides with the Gregorian March. The Saka year, which came from India, use a numbering system of 78 years behind the Gregorian year.
All Hindu followers will be obliged to do the Catur Brata Penyepian (four ways of realization the Nyepi Day). There should not be fire (amati geni) nor works or activities to do (amati karya). They won't be allowed to have fun (amati lelanguan) nor to travel (amati lelungan). These prohibitions are aimed at controlling oneself and submission to God. Everybody has to stay in the individual houses. No lights in the house, no sounds of radio and no works, just keep silent. It is totally silence.