Enjoying Prambanan in Silence on Nyepi Day

The hustle and bustle of tourists is not heard. There is only a gentle breeze blowing accompanying the rapid rustling of branches, presenting a precarious nuance. Butterflies fly freely. Squirrels descend the trees accompanied by the chirping of birds. Prambanan Temple on Nyepi Day can really breathe.

PT TWC through the “Prambanan in Silence” program closed the operational activities of the Prambanan Temple Tourism Park destination during the Nyepi Day 1946. This operational closure was carried out on March 11, 2024 starting at 05.00 WIB to 24.00 WIB.

This closure is also accompanied by a power outage in the Prambanan TWC area on March 11, 2024 at 06.00 WIB to 06.00 WIB on March 12, 2024. In addition, during the closure of this destination, the Prambanan Temple area is guarded by brigades and cavalry from the Turangga brigade of the Yogyakarta Regional Police.

The Prambanan Temple area felt quiet, unlike the usual bustling crowd, full of domestic and foreign tourists. Access to the temple area was closed and the entrance gate was guarded by two Bregada Mantrijeron personnel. Cavalry troops from the Turangga Brigade of the DIY Regional Police were also seen guarding the World Cultural Heritage destination area.

Prambanan in Silence presents a silent atmosphere in the World Heritage area. This is in accordance with the rules of Catur (Brata) Penyepian, namely amati karya (not working), amati lelungan (not traveling), amati geni (not lighting fires), and amati lelanguan (not having fun).

GM of Prambanan & Ratu Boko I Gusti Putu Ngurah Sedana explained that amati geni is a taboo for Hindus to light fire, electricity, light, or other elements that are identical to the nature of anger such as fire. So this rule is applied by waiting for electricity throughout the Prambanan Temple area.

Amati lelanguan is a prohibition to splurge or have fun excessively during the Nyepi celebration. The third prohibition is amati lelungan, which is a prohibition on traveling as well as an advice to stay at home. The fourth prohibition, amati karya, is a prohibition on working during the Holy Day of Nyepi. This prohibition applies for 24 hours so that Prambanan Temple today can breathe a sigh of relief from the hustle and bustle of life.

"So all of the employees here, including friends from the kiosks, are also on a total holiday, no activity at all. The universal meaning of Catur Brata Penyepian, both about self-introspection and fostering harmonious behavior with the surrounding environment. Both teach essential values ​​about wisdom and social harmony to bring about world peace," he explained.

One of the members of Bregada Mantrijeron, Tian Juniardo, who also guarded the entrance to Prambanan Temple on the east side, said that the Bregada Mantrijeron group strongly supports the Prambanan Dalam Silence activity because it is a form of respect and tolerance.

"This year is the second year that Bregada Mantrijeron has been involved in guarding Prambanan Temple during Nyepi Day," he said.

According to him, the clothes worn today are a modification of the "Daeng" Keraton Yogyakarta Soldiers' clothes which were modified so that they are not exactly the same as the original Daeng Soldiers' uniforms. While last year they used the Lombok Abang Keraton Yogyakarta Soldiers' uniforms.

"The rules are like that, so the basic pattern of the bregada's clothing or uniform is based on the palace soldier's uniform, but it cannot be exactly the same, it must be modified, such as the trousers cannot be exactly the same or anything else," he said.

This sacred moment was also immortalized through the brush strokes of 9 painters, including Teuku Shabir, Rahmat Qadriyanto, Gaga, Difda Ainul Hakim, Haris Irfanudin, Rubina Stevia Laiqa, Nikita Valencia Laiqa, Hudzaifah, Yovanka Al-Farugh Maylovantino and local painter from Prambanan, Pengging.

Each of them will describe how Prambanan is with its silence through sketches that will capture the nuances of 'Prambanan in Silence'.

When met, Syakil, a student majoring in Art Education at UNY who took part in the painting activity, admitted that he was amazed by Prambanan Temple. He said that the atmosphere of Prambanan Dalam Sunyi rarely occurs, so he wanted to immortalize the moment in his painting.

"I will try to present Prambanan in silence with a surrealist style," he said.