Ogoh Ogoh Bali holds deep cultural roots within the Hindu community on the Island of the Gods, making it an unmissable tradition each year. However, in 2024, the Bali Provincial Culture Service has decided to cancel the Ogoh Ogoh parade.
The Ogoh Ogoh Parade, a beloved event commemorating Nyepi, the Balinese silence day, has consistently attracted both local and international tourists. The cancellation of this iconic parade has left many feeling disheartened, as they won’t be able to relish the joyous atmosphere that was a hallmark of previous years.
Ogoh Ogoh Bali Parades 2024 Got Cancelled Due the Indonesia’s Presidential Election Day
According to Prof. Dr. I Gede Arya Sugiartha, Head of the Bali Province Culture Service, the year 2024 will not feature a provincial-level parade. The primary reason cited is the scheduling conflict with the presidential election, which falls just one month prior to Nyepi.
While this determination remains tentative, the Bali government has contemplated various factors. The proximity of the election to the Nyepi holiday heightens concerns about increased tension between different groups.
The provincial government’s apprehension led them to delegate the Ogoh Ogoh Bali parade policy to village and district authorities. This choice has sparked debates among various local people, as many view the Balinese Ogoh-Ogoh tradition as significant and a platform for the creative expression of the younger generation in Bali.
Get to Know the Balinese Ogoh Ogoh Tradition More Closely
Ogoh-Ogoh Parade is a representation of a giant who is a manifestation of Bhutakala. Based on Hindu religious teachings, Bhutakala is an immeasurable universal force. Usually Ogoh-Ogoh are made to resemble evil spirits who have bad powers and can influence humans to do negative things.
The tradition itself has existed in Bali since 1983 and is still being preserved today. Approaching the Nyepi holiday, almost every village in Bali will make a statue of their Ogoh-Ogoh and parade it around the village and then burn it, as a form of freeing people from negative energy.
Flashback to 2023, the Bali government held a provincial-level competition with substantial prizes, amounting to hundreds of millions of Rupiah. This competition served as a platform for the youth generation of Bali to uphold the Ogoh-Ogoh tradition.
Nevertheless, due to the probable cancellation in 2024, the Ogoh Ogoh parade is expected to lose some of its previous vibrancy. However, this won’t diminish the sanctity of the Nyepi Day that follows on the next day.
