TAWUR AGUNG - THE EVE OF NYEPI
Every
year Prambanan comes to life with Tawur Agung, an important and
beautiful Hindu ritual held on the eve of Nyepi in which the evil spirits are
scared away by a ceremony of offerings, blessings and ritual.
beautiful Hindu ritual held on the eve of Nyepi in which the evil spirits are
scared away by a ceremony of offerings, blessings and ritual.
Travellers are welcome to watch the ceremonies
that are held at Prambanan, future dates for the Tawur Agung are available
through our Visitor Assistance Centre.
Prambanan hosts the Central Javanese
Hindu population’s largest ceremony, on the date determined by the Balinese
Hindu calendar, the eve of Nyepi falling on the night of the new moon whenever
it occurs around March or April each year. The ceremony begins when the sun is
at its highest during the day, Incense is then burnt and the Wedas is then
recited, with the chiming of bells to accompany.
The following day, Nyepi, is a day of
quiet reflection and religious discussions, in which the Hindus do not leave
the house, and in fact in Bali, on this day, visitors can not leave their
hotels. Java has less of a Hindu population so this is not observed as fully,
but many Buddhists on Java would take part in their own homes. The symbolism of
Nyepi is that the New Year should begin with nothingness in the same way that
original existence began from nothingness, giving a fresh
start to a new year.
