14 March 2021, the Balinese Hindu community celebrates Nyepi Day by not working for 24 hours; not lighting any fires, lights and electricity; not traveling, and without entertainment.
The day before Nyepi is a ritual of pengerupukan that aims to expel evil spirits to purify nature again, which is usually filled with parading ogoh-ogoh representing evil forces which are then destroyed by fire.
This year, for the second time, the celebration of welcoming Nyepi in Bali was without the excitement of ogoh-ogoh processions due to the social restrictions of COVID-19.
The Denpasar city government usually organised ogoh-ogoh parade contests so that each banjar or traditional village can showed off their most beautiful and magnificent ogoh-ogoh.
The Balinese on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia, where the COVID-19 case is almost under control, held a ceremony to welcome Nyepi as well as an ogoh-ogoh parade on Saturday, March 13.
Kids and ogoh-ogoh Source: Facebook Garry Schlatter
Tutty Brierty, Chair of the Sunshine Coast Indonesian Community, supported also by Asumsi group, said that the Balinese Sunshine Coast Hindu Association held a prayer ceremony and also an ogoh-ogoh parade which inviting the wider community.
"For the first time in Queensland, an ogoh-ogoh procession has been held, maybe previously was held in Melbourne or Perth. Usually on the Sunshine Coast, we have a ceremony to welcome Nyepi, Kuningan and Saraswati holidays with dancing and eating together," said Tutty.
Tutty Brierty. Source: Facebook Garry Schlatter
"This year we want to share this tradition with to fulfill the desire of the people who have been unable to go to Bali for a long time. We also want to share this ritual with the people in Bali who have been 2 years without ogoh-ogoh parade welcoming Nyepi ."
Tutty said this event was held independently by the community with preparation for less than two weeks.
Ogoh-ogoh Source: Facebook Garry Schlatter
"In Bali, ogoh-ogoh parades usually run in the hundreds and are big, very festive, the manufacturing process can take three months," said Tutty.
"This time, due to limited materials, time and human resources, we made three ogoh-ogoh. One was made by children. The manufacturing process took two days. It is difficult to find traditional materials like in Bali, so we collect what is available."
Prayer Source: Facebook Corina Mulherin
"We invite all people, regardless of religion. The food was provided by people who are not Balinese because we are busy preparing for the ceremony," he said.
Until now, there are no Balinese Hindu temples in Australia, so religious ceremonies are usually held at the location of the Indonesian consulate general, in public spaces such as parks or private property.
"Here, fortunately, Rama and Blake Brierty provide a house with a large yard for worship, then in front, there is a school to start parading what we then take them out through an area with lots of restaurants, about 700 meters away," said Tutty.
Gamelan Source: Facebook Garry Schlatter
"We really want to show this culture to the outside community. There are a lot of people come out to watch, they are very happy. We are very proud and happy, even though we are small, we are happy to show this culture."
After the procession, symbolically the ogoh-ogoh are burned and followed by a meal together.
"Next year we want to do like this again and hope to get bigger."
