Ogoh-ogoh Parades Mark Nyepi Celebrations Across Indonesia

March 29, 2025 | 11:22 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Nyepi Day, marking the Saka New Year, is celebrated on Saturday, March 29, 2025. For Hindus, Nyepi is a time for self-reflection and prayer to God for the purification of Bhuana Agung (the universe) and Bhuana Alit (humankind), seeking inner balance and harmony with the universe.

During the Day of Silence, Hindus engage in meditation or rest, abstaining from activities such as using lights or fire, working, traveling, and engaging in entertainment. Some also fast due to restrictions on cooking and lighting fires.

The day before Nyepi, the Hindu community in Bali holds an ogoh-ogoh parade. Villages across Bali display ogoh-ogoh effigies, which represent mythical creatures and Balinese legends, accompanied by gamelan music and traditional dances. As reported by Taman Mini, each ogoh-ogoh carries symbolic meanings, representing evils or social issues that are to be expelled from the community.

The ogoh-ogoh parade serves to cleanse the universe of negative forces and disorder, welcoming the new year with a pure spirit. At the end of the parade, the ogoh-ogoh effigies are destroyed in a Tawur Kesanga ceremony,

Ogoh-ogoh Parades in Various Regions

The ogoh-ogoh parade is not only a celebration but also a moment to recognize the cultural heritage of the Balinese community. Several regions in Indonesia also hold ogoh-ogoh parades, including TMII, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, in Jakarta. This tourist attraction held an ogoh-ogoh parade on Friday, March 28, 2025, in the evening. The Ngarak Ogoh-Ogoh Tawur Kesanga, Sang Kala Rau, took place at the Pura Hindu Dharma Penataran Agung Kertabhumi.

Prior to this, an ogoh-ogoh parade was also held on Saturday, March 22, 2025, featuring a large ogoh-ogoh and ten smaller ones brought from Bali. The effigies were paraded from Pura Hindu Dharma Penataran Agung Kertabhumi to Plaza Kori Agung Museum Indonesia, accompanied by the mapeed tradition and depictions of Balinese mythological figures such as Rangda and Barong.

According to Antara, the ogoh-ogoh parade to welcome the Saka New Year is also held in Batam city. The parade in this city takes place on a street and concludes after the breaking of the fast.

Purwadi, a Hindu Community Facilitator in the Riau Islands, explained that the ogoh-ogoh parade is part of the Tawur Kesanga ceremony, aimed at cleansing the environment and bringing peace to the community. He stated, "Through this celebration, we hope that Hindu devotees can better understand the spiritual significance of Nyepi, and strengthen harmonious relationships with people of other faiths.

Meanwhile, in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, the ogoh-ogoh parade took place on Jalan Bundaran Besar on Friday, March 28, 2025. The parade featured eight ogoh-ogoh effigies as part of the Nyepi Day celebration for the Saka New Year 1947.

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