via the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, 24 February 2024: In a bid to preserve the world’s largest Buddhist temple, Borobudur Temple in Indonesia has introduced upanat sandals for visitors, inspired by the temple’s own Karmawibhangga reliefs. These sandals, made from sustainable materials like pandan leaves, coconut shells, and eva sponge, are part of a broader initiative by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy to minimize the wear and tear on the temple’s stone surfaces caused by conventional footwear.
Upanat sandals or Upanat Borobudur are woven sandals made from a combination of pandan leaves, coconut shells, and an eva sponge sheet. According to the Ministry of Education and Culture website, “upanat” means footwear. These sandals were specially designed and have been extensively researched since January 2022. They were declared to meet the criteria for durability, ergonomics, and visual harmony by the Conservation Reviewer of the Borobudur Conservation Center.
Upanat sandals were first made by Pak Basiyo, one of the local creative industry players around Borobudur Temple, who had been making them since 1997. However, this creative product was refined with the Borobudur Conservation Center so that they are safer to use when climbing the stairs and rock floors of the temple.
Interestingly, the shape of the upanat sandals was inspired by an actualization of one of the reliefs at Borobudur Temple, namely the Karmawibhangga relief panel 150. On the Karmawibhangga relief panel 150, there is a picture of two people offering footwear to the Brahmin. Well, the footwear resembles upanat sandals.
Source: Upanat Sandals, Inspired by the Reliefs on Borobudur Temple
