Bali observes Day of Silence for Hindu new year

Balinese Hindu worshipers walk during the Tawur Agung ritual ahead of Nyepi, Bali's Day of Silence and the Hindu New Year, at Prambanan temple in Yogyakarta. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

DENPASAR - THE Indonesian holiday island of Bali shut down on Saturday for a day of silence to mark the Hindu new year.
Retailers closed their shops and many tourists stayed inside their hotels for Nyepi, a day of reflection that is supposed to be free from daily routine, including work and play.
'Kuta area, which is usually crowded and noisy, now is silent,' Kuta village cultural head Gusti Ketut Sudira said of the popular tourist spot.
'Hotels are not allowed to let their guests go outside their areas,' he said.
Guards in sarongs with sticks and traditional daggers enforced the public observance among the Hindu-majority Balinese.
The island's international airport and ports were also shut down, with hospitals the only public services functioning close to normally.

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