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Nyepi and Galungan Festivities in Succession
Two
Hindu Holidays, Nyepi and Galungan for this
year will be cele-brated in succession.
Nyepi Holiday, Caka New Year 1927 falls
on Friday 11 March 2005, while Galungan
Holiday, the triumphal festivity of the
Dharma (truth) against the Adharma (untruth)
falls on Wednesday 9 March 2005.
 Both
holidays should be celebrated as customary
with various continuums of Hindu ritual
events decided at a meeting by the Indonesia
Council of Hindu Dharma (PHDI) Bali that
involved 29 Brahmanic holy priests from
all over Bali and Lombok, prominent religious
and public figures on Saturday (15/1).
“Tawur Kesanga” ritual activity,
one day prior to Nyepi, is performed on
Thursday (10/3) coinciding with Umanis Galungan
day or a day after Galungan. Meanwhile,
the ritual procession or the so-called Melasti/Melis,
a purificatory rite for Pratima (sacred
effigy) and other sacred paraphernalia to
the sea, lake or springs is carried out
in accordance with the condition of each
customary village.
I Made Artha, the Chairman of PHDI Bali
said, Hindu devotees on the Çaka
year’s change that is celebrated every
420 days, should obey four cautions for
24 hours from sun rise till the next morning.
The four cautions comprise lighting up or
turning on no lamps (amati geni), performing
no activity (amati karya), no travelling
(amati lelungan) and no entertainment (amati
lelanguan).
In the meantime, Galungan Holiday, a triumphal
festivity of Dharma (truth) against Adharma
(untruth) is celebrated once in 210 days.
Ten days later (19/3) followed by Kuningan
Day that signifies upholding truth and a
momentum to enhance the quality and encouraging
in order that mankind always lives in perseverance,
welfare, peace, without ignoring self and
environmental security. On the Galungan
Holiday, Hindu devotees are obliged to conduct
self-introspection in order to be aware
and realize the pure truth,” said Made
Artha. (BTN/015)
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