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alinese Hindus celebrated Nyepi, the arrival of the Saka New Year on Thursday in a somber, quieter atmosphere, as the heat of the upcoming elections robbed Nyepi of its most festive element; the Ogoh-ogoh (giant papier mache doll) street parade.

Scores of Denpasar' residents lamented the Grand Council of Customary Villages (MUDP) recent decision to ban the Ogoh-Ogoh parade. The MUDP feared the noisy event would be exploited by political parties vying for public support, or even worse trigger street brawls involving party supporters.

Ogoh-ogoh parade is usually held on the night before the Nyepi. The giant dolls, which generally represent the evil spirits, are escorted by children and youths carrying bamboo torches and dynamic gamelan ensembles in a parade that marchs around villages. Eventually, the youths set the Ogoh-ogoh ablaze, symbolically banishing the demons.

"I feel this year's Nyepi is much plainer that last year's because we don't have the Ogoh-ogoh parade," Intan, a Denpasar resident said.

Intan and a large number of Denpasar residents apparently believed that the boisterous street parade is a necessary prelude to the total silence demanded by the Nyepi, which falls on the following day.

"The noise, the commotion created by thousands of people descending onto the streets and the overwhelming presence of light created by all those bamboo torches provides a dramatic opening for the complete darkness and the absence of sounds during Nyepi. The street parade gives Nyepi a more striking atmosphere," Adnyana Ole, a local poet, said.

For 24 hours on Nyepi, Hindus observe the Catur Brata (Four Abstinences): Amati Geni, abstaining from lighting fire or using lights; Amati Karya, abstaining from working; Amati Lelungan, abstaining from traveling outside the house; and Amati Lelanguan, abstaining from partaking in any recreational activity.

"At the spiritual level, the Catur Brata teaches us to extinguish our carnal desire, to renounce worldly possession, to meditate upon our true self and to sever the bound of illusions," he added.

On the physical level, Hindus turned off all electricity on Thursday. Earlier, at midnight on Wednesday, the Denpasar administration switched off more than 18,000 street lights across the city.

Roads, offices and all public places in the island were deserted and only a handful of Pecalang (traditional guardsmen) were seen patrolling the street.

Berto Aria Putra, who experien-ced Nyepi for the first time, rejoiced in the silence brought by the day.

"Its truly wonderful, the silence makes the chirps of the birds so audible and clear, I could even hear my cellular phone vibrating," he said.