When a chicken meets the sea: A day of cleansing in Indonesia

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The Melasti ritual is held annually ahead of the Nyepi Day of Silence, a ceremony intended to cleanse and purify the souls of the Balinese Hindu participants. Nyepi is a Hindu celebration observed every new year according to the Balinese calendar. The national holiday is one of self-reflection and meditation and activities such as working, watching television or traveling are restricted between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Hindus pray on the beach in order to clean themselves and environment from all the past bad deeds and throw it overboard into the sea with offerings to the gods.