Nyepi celebrations: Mobile internet turned off for Bali's New Year

Bali has asked phone companies to turn off mobile internet to celebrate New Year, which falls locally on Saturday.

Mobile internet will be shut down to mark Nyepi, a Hindu holiday on the Indonesian island.

The island's airport will also shut for 24 hours from 06:00 on Saturday (22:00 GMT Friday).

"Many Hindu people are addicted to gadgets," Hinduism Society head Gusti Ngurah Sudiana said. "I hope during Nyepi they can be introspective."

Nyoman Sujaya, the Bali office chief of Indonesia's communications ministry, announced the plan on Tuesday but said other internet access would operate as usual.

"Wifi at hotels, public services and vital objects such as airports, hospitals, security forces and banking still can run normally," he said.

Nyepi, known as the Day of Silence, is a day of reflection to mark New Year celebrations on the predominantly Hindu island.

Balinese Hindus observe four "prohibitions" - no fire, no travel, no activity and no entertainment. For some, that means no eating and no talking.

Religious and civil leaders, in the police and the military, made the request to the Indonesian government earlier in March.

This is the first time the government has agreed to shut down internet access for the day, having denied the request last year.

The government announced the mobile internet ban will now be the norm.