DENPASAR, Indonesia — Bali fell silent on Tuesday as its four million residents and tens of thousands of tourists observed Nyepi, the Hindu Day of Silence, with the island's airport, roads and beaches closed for a full 24 hours. The shutdown marked the start of the Saka new year 1948.

Ngurah Rai International Airport suspended all commercial flights from 6am on Tuesday until 6am Wednesday, grounding hundreds of arrivals and departures, according to airport operator PT Angkasa Pura. Traditional pecalang security officers patrolled empty streets to enforce restrictions on travel, lighting fires and outdoor activity.

Nyepi requires adherents to observe four prohibitions known as Catur Brata Penyepian: no fire or light, no work, no travel and no entertainment. Hotels dimmed exterior lighting and asked guests to remain on their properties, while internet and data services were curtailed across the province as in previous years.

The silence followed Monday's vibrant Ngrupuk parades, in which villages carried towering ogoh-ogoh effigies representing evil spirits through the streets before burning them. The Bali provincial government and the Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia council coordinated the observance, urging visitors to respect local customs.

Tourism officials in Denpasar said advance guidance had been issued to arriving travellers, emphasising that even non-Hindu visitors were expected to stay indoors during the daytime hours of quiet reflection.