Bali’s Silent Nyepi and India’s Ugadi – A Time for Introspection

Bali’s Silent Nyepi and India’s Ugadi – A Time for Introspection

The new year - Ugadi - falls on March 25, 2020 and this year is known as Shaarvari. Basically, Sharva is Shiva and the year is going to be prosperous and auspicious for the world at large. According to the lunar calendar the king for the year is Mercury, Minister is Venus, Chief of army is Jupiter and the Chief of agriculture is the Moon.

Ugadi is celebrated in Telangana, Andhra and Karnataka and in Maharashtra it is celebrated as Gudi Padwa. Sindhis and Manipuris also celebrate the day.

The entire area of Bali celebrates the day as Nyepi. It is amazing to see how the entire Bali goes into silent mode on this day. There will be no cell phones, no internet, no transportation and every citizen follow Mounavrat or silence from dawn to dusk.

For 2020 it will start from 6 am on Wednesday 25th March and finish at 6am on Thursday 26th March. On this day, every year, the entire country does the following - no working, no lighting fires, no entertainment or pleasure and no travelling.

The power of the Lunar constellation is given in Almanacs as one which spreads very positive vibrations if people adhere to minimal ethics.

The watch word for the year is self-discipline. People in general will realise the need to show more care and love towards the children and respect to the elders. It is amazing how the Corona Virus does not affect the animals and it only attacks the humans!

This year is largely predicted as a very prosperous year for the world and the Corona Virus has come at a time when all the planets are placed between Rahu and Ketu. This is expected to last till the middle of July and inadvertently create more disciplined nations and responsible leadership.

In the wheel of time, whenever nature is abused, the five elements take their turn to keep an ecological balance every time it is disturbed. Therefore, once the water, once the fire, once the cosmos, once the earth and once the wind destroy the imbalances created by human misadventures.

Corona Virus is created out of an ecological imbalance and pollution. The only way to deal with it is to work towards ecological balance and minimise pollution. If we do not follow the rules, nature will take over and creates the balance by its own mechanism.

India's ancient scriptures explicitly emphasise the need to keep distance and follow basic principles of life where we treat everyone and everything with respect and love.

The Dawn of the New Year Shaarvari brings with it an immense hope of prosperity and wellbeing. Let us welcome it and live in harmony.