Mar 2026 - Nyepi, the Balinese Day of Silence, marks the Saka New Year and is a time for reflection, renewal, and balance. The day before this is Pengrupukan, where communities in banjars across Bali have lively celebrations in which they parade their Ogoh-Ogoh creations that they have been making for months. These towering figures often take eerie and powerful forms, symbolizing negative energies from the underworld.
Crowds gather to witness each region’s magnificent creation, as it is also a ritual of cleansing before the island enters 24 hours of silence guided by the Catur Brata Penyepian: no fire or light, no work, no travel, and no entertainment.
In celebration of this tradition, our Waterbom team also came together to brainstorm and build a sustainable Ogoh-Ogoh, made from discarded and other natural materials that were successfully repurposed to bring the story to life. Our team’s amazing creation, “Ki Taru Bingin,” is a representation of a respected wise elder whose presence merges with the strength and spirit of the banyan tree, representing wisdom rooted in nature. It was crafted using recycled and repurposed materials, including cardboard, plastic bottles, copper wire, used paper, newspaper, metal, recycled coconut fiber, wood chips, and old banners.
After 3 months of preparation by our hardworking internal talented team (Wayan Suparta, Gus De, Eka Yana, and Sahrul), on 17 March just before Nyepi, the full Waterbom crew proudly carried this 500 kilogram figure along Kartika Plaza Road, followed by a special Balinese dance performance from our team, combining traditional and contemporary styles, reiterating the story of Ki Taru Bingin. Thank you to everyone who came to witness and celebrate this meaningful part of Balinese culture with us, and for sharing in our team’s energy and enthusiasm.
If you missed it, ‘Ki Taru Bingin’ is now displayed in front of our lobby area, where you can take a closer look at all its details.
You can also watch our behind-the-scenes video HERE to see how our team brought this piece to life, as well as the full recording of our Waterbom Ogoh-Ogoh parade from 17 March HERE
