Bali Observes Noise-Free Day of Seclusion

Denpasar (Antara Bali) - The Indonesian tourist resort island of Bali, with a population of 4.3 million and thousands of tourists, remained quiet and tranquil on Tuesday during the Hindu Day of Seclusion.

Antara correspondent reported from Tabanan District and Denpasar, the provincial capital of Bali, that Bali's Hindu followers chose to stay indoors to perform the Tapa Brata seclusion ritual and to introspect for 24 hours from 6 a.m. Central Indonesian Standard Time (WITA) on Tuesday.

Tapa Brata covers the observance of silence through the rituals of amati karya, or abstain from work and other activities; amati geni, or abstain from turning on the lights; amati lelungan, or avoid traveling; and amati lelanguan, or abstain from lust and entertainment.

Danpasar City, a tourist resort and an economic center facing daily traffic jams, turned totally quiet and tranquil as though it were an unpopulated island.

Roads and alleys appeared deserted apart from the presence of several "pecalang," or customary village security officials, who stood guard at the road sections and the ends of alleys.

A deserted look was also noticed at the Perumnas Monang-Maning housing complex, a settlement area that is home to some 2.5 thousand families, in Denpasar.

"This morning, the weather is clear after the rain fell from 2 to 5 a.m. local time. We can only hear the chirping of the birds in the neighborhoods where the residents keep birds in their cages," Ketut, a local resident, remarked.

The same could also be witnessed in almost all villages in the districts of Marga and Tabanan, where the villagers also enjoyed the quietude.

Foreign tourists who are on a holiday, coinciding with the Hindu Day of Silence in Bali, are only allowed to carry out activities in areas around their hotels.

The harmonious life and co-existence on the seclusion day are observed in accordance with the agreement and calls of the interfaith council in Bali for the successful implementation of the Holiday of Seclusion.

"The joint calls signed by leaders of the interfaith council were approved by the Bali governor, regional police, and military leaders," I. Komang Giriyasa, spokesman of the Bali office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, noted on Tuesday. (WDY)