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Nyepi celebration in Bali

Hindu communities will tomorrow, March 5, celebrate the Hindu Day of Silence (Nyepi) or the Hindu New Year in the Balinese Saka calendar. The largest celebrations are held in Bali as well as in Balinese Hindu communities around Indonesia.

On Nyepi day the Hindu Balinese refrain from all worldly and physical activities for 24 hours. It is customary to practice yoga semedi and catur berata penyepian or the four abstinences. These are: amati geni (refraining from lighting fires and using lights), amati karya (refraining from working), amati lelanguan (refraining from indulging in leisure activities) and amati lelungan (refraining from traveling outside the house).

The Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) of Bali expects carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by between 17 thousand and 20 thousand tonnes within a day.

"Nyepi enables people to breath fresh air," said Walhi of Bali Chief, Gendo Suardana, today, March 4.

Within the framework of climate change, Gendo said Nyepi can lessen greenhouse gas emissions supplied by autos and electricity use.

Walhi has teamed up with other NGOs under Bali Collaboration for Climate Change since 2007 to make possible World Silent Day (WSD) in both national and international levels.

"WSD adopts Nyepi celebration from which real inexpensive actions on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions are pratically doable," Gendo said.

Walhi encourages global communities celebrate the World Silent Day each year on March 21.

"Four-hour silence, if it's applied globally, may result in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to hundreds of millions of tonnes," Gendo stated.

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Coverage by : Peni Widarti | Bali
• VIVAnews