The Economist Speculates
This little ditty appeared recently in The Economist. I repeat it here as the set up for the next post…
===================
Speechless in Bali
Mar 22nd 2007
An ancient tradition resists the modern world
http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8903360
THE bustling beaches and noisy nightlife of the Indonesian
island of Bali fell silent on March 19th. The streets were
deserted and businesses—even the smallest beachside stalls—were
closed. Almost everyone kept indoors and lights stayed switched
off all evening. It was not another bomb scare. It was Nyepi,
the day of silence, rest and reflection that Bali’s majority
Hindu population observes to mark the new year.
Hinduism arrived on Bali perhaps 2,000 years ago. Its traditions
there differ from those in its homeland, India, where the spring
is marked with the colourful and raucous festival of Holi.
Bali’s day of silence is preceded by an evening of extreme
noise, as home-made bamboo cannons are fired to scare evil
spirits away from the island. Giant papier-mâché effigies called
ogoh-ogoh, representing these demons, are paraded through the
streets before being burned.
On the day itself, only local guards are allowed outdoors, to
ensure everyone else stays in—including foreign visitors.
Australia’s government warned its tourists to expect the ban to
be taken “very seriously”. So it was, even though Bali can ill
afford to discourage visitors. Tourist numbers have plummeted
since the bombings there by Islamist terrorists in 2002 and
2005. Some hotels put a positive spin on the curfew, inviting
guests to enjoy this respite from the constant din of modern
life.
Observance of Nyepi has become stricter in recent years. Until
about ten years ago, holidaymakers were given tours of the
deserted streets. Until 2000, the island’s airport remained open
during the holiday. The rest of Indonesia has a large Muslim
majority but, despite much talk of “creeping Islamisation”, also
still observes Nyepi as a public holiday. In 2005, when it fell
on a Friday, the Muslim day of prayer, Bali’s Muslims walked to
their mosques and the loudspeakers that normally call Bali’s
Muslims to prayer were switched off. However, as parliament
continues to debate a controversial “pornography bill”, it is
unclear if the kissing ritual, observed enthusiastically by
young Balinese on the day after Nyepi, will remain safe from the
country’s new puritans.
================================
So, did The Economist get it right?? Well, as the next post shows, there are a couple of issues…
