I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali will suspend its operational activities on Nyepi or Day of Silence, 'Caka' New Year 1941 on Thursday.
The closure will be carried out for 24 hours starting Thursday 7 March at 6 am (Central Indonesian Time/WITA) until Friday 8 March at 6 am WITA, when the airport resumes operation.
"The temporary halt of the operation of this airport is in honour of Hindus in Bali in order to practising the Brata asceticism fervently," said Communication Head and Legal Section Head of Ngurah Rai Airport, Arie Ahsanurrohim, as quoted by the .
The start of "Caka" year is celebrated by the Balinese Hindus over a course of six days, with the ogoh-ogoh parade after sunset of day two and Nyepi, Day of Silence, on day three. It is a public holiday in Indonesia.
is a day that the Balinese Hindus dedicate completely to connect more deeply with God through prayer, fasting and meditation. People typically refrain from using fires (and lights must be kept low), working, entertainment or pleasure, and traveling. Some people may not even talk or eat at all.
Mr Ahsanurrohim said that at least 468 flights are not going to operate during this operational halt.
Balinese carry giant effigies in the form of the devil, whose local name is 'Ogoh-ogoh', during a parade before Nyepi Day, the Balinese Day of Silence. Source: AAP Image/EPA/MADE NAGI
The most affected domestic route is Jakarta with 52 flights, followed by Surabaya and Lombok with 16 and 10 flights respectively.
While for international routes, the top three destinations affected most are Singapore with 18 flights, Kuala Lumpur with 16 flights, and Perth with 9 flights.
Foreign visitors to the island are generally expected to respect the religious observance.
