This year\'s celebration of Nyepi (Hindu Day of Silence) takes place amid concerns. Nyepi is being celebrated as the world, including Indonesia, suffers the COVID-19 pandemic.
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This year\'s celebration of Nyepi (Hindu Day of Silence) takes place amid concerns. Nyepi is being celebrated as the world, including Indonesia, suffers the COVID-19 pandemic.
This atypical condition could be seen during the Melasti ritual in Petirtaan Jolotundo, Mojokerto regency, East Java, on Sunday, which was attended by representatives of only seven temples in Mojokerto. Attendees wore masks and had their health checked. The massive spread of the new coronavirus has prevented hundreds of people who attended the Melasti ritual last year from attending this year. Melasti is a purification ceremony that takes place at divine water sources. It is held two or three days before the celebration of Nyepi.
The number of victims of the virus is expected to continue growing.
Data from Johns Hopkins University in the United States shows that, as of Monday afternoon, the outbreak of the new coronavirus had infected 343,421 people from 167 territories and countries, of which 14,790 people had died. In Indonesia, COVID-19 has infected 579 people, with 49 dead. The number of victims of the virus is expected to continue growing.
To curb the spread of COVID-19 and to avoid further casualties, a number of countries have implemented lockdowns. Indonesia has not yet implemented this policy, but it has called for social distancing, which limits large gatherings of people, encourages working and studying from home and discourages unnecessary travel.
This act of limiting public activity is in line with brata (self-restraint) practiced by Hindus during Nyepi. There are catur brata (four kinds of self-restraint) that must be performed, namely amati geni (no light or fire), amati karya (no work activities), amati lelanguan (no entertainment) and amati lelungaan (no traveling). Hindus celebrating Nyepi provide a clear example of self-restraint to the public.
In silence, without light, Nyepi is a time for introspection, self-restraint, the unification of the mind and the sharpening of creativity, feeling and intention to strengthen one’s human existence and to understand the essence of life. Such practices and states of mind are now particularly necessary in any region in dealing with COVID-19.
Without self-restraint and introspection, one can simply ignore the government\'s call (for social distancing) and, instead, continue activities as usual. Some keep traveling without realizing the possibility of spreading the new coronavirus. They do not only endanger themselves but also others. They seem not to care about the fate of others and their people.
The celebration is usually festive.
The essence of Nyepi, which this year falls on Wednesday, is self-restraint. The day before Nyepi, there is a parade of ogoh-ogoh (giant effigies), and on the day after Nyepi, the Ngembak Geni tradition is held. The celebration is usually festive. However, this year the festivities can only be in the heart because we have to fight together for humanity against the new coronavirus. We are definitely superior.