Ago-Ago

Preparations for the Day of Silence

My visit to Bali came just a few weeks before the Day of Silence, a religious observance during the first week in April in which everyone stays indoors and does not speak, creating the illusion that if the evil spirits believe the island is uninhabited, they will go away. The Balinese usher in the holiday with bonfires the night before by burning Ago ago, giant bamboo and papier maché grotesque figures. This means that in every small community and in many precincts of a city like Ubud, vacant lots are sites of feverish activity, building these enormous puppet-like figures. Although they do not move, their scale is similar to Bread and Puppet Theatre or Heart of the Beast giant puppets that reflect vivid imaginations and often considerable artistry. One of the Ago ago construction sites was just up the road from the bungalow where I was staying so I got to watch an amazing work in progress from day to day.