Ogoh-ogoh

Ogoh-ogoh are giant effigies of demonic figures, built by village youth groups and paraded through the streets on Pengerupukan, the evening before Nyepi, the Balinese Day of Silence. Towering, often grotesque and full of personality, they represent the bhuta kala, forces of disorder and negative human traits. The parade is one of the most exciting nights of the Balinese year.

The tradition in its current form is fairly recent. It grew from earlier customs such as scarecrows and cremation figures, and spread widely in the 1980s, after Nyepi became a national holiday in 1983. Effigies are traditionally made of bamboo frames covered in paper and paint; the provincial government has since discouraged styrofoam for health and environmental reasons. Gods and heroes are not depicted, since the figures represent evil, though mythical creatures are common.

On the night itself, groups of young men carry each ogoh-ogoh on a bamboo platform, spinning and shaking it at crossroads to confuse evil spirits, while gamelan baleganjur crashes around them. Torches and noise drive the negative forces away. Afterward the figures are traditionally burned, symbolizing the destruction of what they represent. The next morning, the island falls silent for Nyepi.