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yepi, the Balinese Hindu Day of Silence that falls on Wednesday, has attracted scholars and general visitors to Bali to enjoy leisure-filled days as well as learn about Balinese culture.

The Bali Institute for Global Renewal, an edu-tourism company based in San Francisco in the US and in Ubud, Bali, runs tours to Bali with a focus on education. '€œWe will be bringing our largest ever number of American groups to Bali for Nyepi [this year],'€ founder and president of the institute Marcia Jaffe told The Jakarta Post.

There will be four separate programs managed by the institute, with different age groups and different focuses.

Twenty-five high school students from a private school in La Jolla, US, along with three teachers will come to Ubud to witness Nyepi. This is the institute'€™s largest group of American high school students ever to come to Bali. '€œThey will learn about Balinese culture and explore aspects of marine biology and other environmental subjects relevant to Singaraja and Pemuteran,'€ Jaffe said.

Another group being organized by the Bali Institute is a group of 30 American yoga practitioners who will stay at the Royal Pita Maha villa. They will be practicing yoga in the gorgeous surroundings of the Ubud royal family-owned villa, as well as visiting special cultural sites and meeting with Balinese cultural leaders including a private visit with a prominent Balinese figure from the Peliatan palace, Cokorda Agung Krisna Dalem.

Another group is coming from the Dominican University of California and another is a private group being hosted by Dr. Illana Berger from Santa Cruz. '€œAll four groups will have unique opportunities to visit sacred sites, meet with cultural leaders, learn about Balinese beliefs and see Nyepi honored with a full day of silence,'€ Jaffe said.

Founded in 2004, the Bali Institute for Global Renewal has brought numerous programs to Bali including a program on leadership from St. Marys College in Moraga, California; an arts and culture program with Southern Methodist University in Dallas; and an indigenous studies program with the University of Western Australia.

Nyepi is a Balinese Hindu holy day that marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year according to the Saka lunar calendar. Balinese Hindus will observe four abstentions: amati geni (abstaining from lighting fires), amati karya (abstaining from work), amati lelungan (abstaining from travelling outside the family compound) and amati lelanguan (abstaining from enjoying entertainment).

Bali will become totally silent as all of the island'€™s gates of entry, including Ngurah Rai International Airport and three major ferry harbors, will be closed for the day. The annual closure will start at 6 a.m. on March 9 and end at 6 a.m. the following day.

The 24-hour closure will not affect international flights in transit at Ngurah Rai airport, emergency landings, emergency evacuations, over-flights or technical landings. All roads will be closed and only pecalang (traditional guards) will be allowed to patrol the streets.

Only clearly marked ambulances transporting sick people and other emergency responders will be exempted from the rule. Hospitals and hotels will be allowed to turn on their light at night, but are requested to minimize brightness.

The National Broadcast Commission Bali chapter (KPID) has urged broadcast media, both radio and television, to stop operating during Nyepi.

The head of the Indonesian Parisadha Hindu Council (PHDI) Bali chapter, IGN Sudiana, said Nyepi was the time for followers of Balinese Hindu to meditate and contemplate. '€œIt'€™s a time to look at ourselves and consider what we have been doing. Then, we can continue to do the good things and leave bad things behind us,'€ Sudiana said.