BALI – Bali is on fire. Terrifying demon statues called ogoh-ogoh – some as tall as 8m – are being paraded across the island in an event called Pengerupukan. Firecrackers pop and go off, while crowds cheer over the cacophony of clashing cymbals and booming gongs of gamelan orchestras.

Local youth carry the ogoh-ogoh down the streets, spinning them at intersections, which is believed to disorientate evil spirits. Finally, the ogoh-ogoh are set aflame – a symbol of purification and the triumph of light over darkness.

Then, the silence begins.

Nyepi, the Balinese day of silence, starts as soon as the sun rises the next morning. Typically falling after the new moon closest to the spring equinox (between late March and early April), it marks the first day of a new year on the Saka calendar, an ancient luni-solar system used in Balinese Hindu culture.

For 24 hours, Bali descends into silence and darkness. With the exception of hospitals and emergency services, the entire island shuts down. Even the airport, which operates more than 400 flights a day, is closed.

There are four main prohibitions during this time: fire, light or electricity; working or productive activities; travelling or leaving the home; and entertainment or loud noises.

The purpose is to make the island seem abandoned and not attract any bad spirits, which are believed to have been cast away during the loud and lively Pengerupukan the night before.

Local security guards from each banjar, or village community, are the only ones allowed outside, patrolling to ensure that everyone abides by the rules and assisting with emergencies.

Tourists tend to avoid staying in Bali during Nyepi, opting for neighbouring islands like Lombok and the Gilis instead. As they are not permitted to leave their...