Climbing Borobudur Temple Is Now Mandatory To Wear Sandals Called Upanat, The German Federal President Has Tried It, When Are You?

President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier visits Borobudur Temple on Friday 17 June. (Inter-Borobudur Conservation Center)

MAGELANG - President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Central Java on Friday 17 June. The visit of the German President is closed to the media crew.

Director General of Culture at the Ministry of Education and Culture, Research and Technology, Hilmar Farid, said that the Federal President of Germany went up to the top floor or the main stupa of Borobudur Temple.

"He has visited Indonesia several times, but this is the first time he has visited Borobudur Temple," said Hilmar after the visit of the President of the Federal Republic in Magelang, Friday, June 17.

Before going up to the Borobudur Temple building, Hilmar said that the German Federal President was also trying a new policy to enter tourist sites as well as places of worship for Buddhists. What is the new policy?

It turns out that now going up to the Borobudur Temple building must use sandals called upanat. Hilmar said, upanat sandals are mandatory equipment to go up to the temple.

"But because time was limited, he didn't have time to take off his shoes. So he just brought the sandals home. But the message has arrived that sandals are an initiative to preserve the temple," he explained, launching Antara.

The use of upanat sandals is applied to those who climb into the building when the Borobudur Temple is in the conservation process. For the next policy, Hilmar did not explain in detail.

On the same occasion, Hilmar said that the German Federal President was impressed with the Borobudur Temple which was restored for 10 years by Indonesian experts using computer technology in 1973.

"He was very impressed, this temple was restored for 10 years by Indonesia using computer technology in 1973, by dismantling all the stones and then strengthening the structure and then rearranging it," he said.

When with the Federal President of Germany, Hilmar explained that every stone temple in Borobudur has a partner, not just arranging stones, so it is truly a masterpiece.

"He really enjoys it, we convey that innovation for conservation continues to be carried out and of course uses the wealth that exists in the community, namely plants and he quite understands that there are disturbances when using chemicals. He really appreciates what BKB (Borobudur Conservation Center) is doing," he said.