Ahead Of The Vesak Celebration At Borobudur, The Ministry Of PUPR Prepares Sarhunta For Tourists

Homestay prepared as a Tourism Residential Facility for tourists in Borobudur ahead of the Vesak celebration/ANTARA

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) has prepared tourism residential facilities (sarhunta) for tourists in Borobudur ahead of the 2022 Vesak celebration.

"In the new normal order to live in peace with the COVID-19 pandemic, the government believes the main economic sector that can rebound quickly is tourism. For this reason, there are no infrastructure development activities in the 5 National Tourism Strategic Areas (KSPN) development or Super Priority Tourism Destinations ( DPSP) which has been terminated," said PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono in a written statement received in Jakarta, Antara, Sunday, May 15.

Entering two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism sector, which had been in suspended animation, is now revitalizing.

The government believes that tourism is one of the strategic sectors to support the National Economic Recovery (PEN).

For this reason, the government through the Ministry of PUPR continues to support through infrastructure development, one of which is the provision of sarhunta.

Ahead of the 2022 Vesak celebration, one of the sarhunta that has been prepared by the PUPR Ministry is the Borobudur Sarhunta, which is expected by Buddhists who come to the Vesak celebration and tourists visiting Borobudur Temple to stay at the Sarhunta.

The Sarhunta Program is a series of activities of the Self-Help Housing Stimulant Assistance Program (BSPS) of the Directorate General of Housing, Ministry of PUPR, in order to improve the quality of houses to be more livable, as well as to encourage the economy because houses can be used as homestays for tourists.

There are 821 houses that have received assistance from Sarhunta, consisting of 382 in 15 villages in the form of improving the quality of houses with homestay functions and other tourism businesses and 439 units in four villages improving the quality of self-help houses without business functions.

Director General of Housing Iwan Suprijanto said the sarhunta built by the PUPR Ministry has several characteristics that distinguish it from other housing.

“The characteristics of the physical elements can be seen from the construction of a traditional Javanese populist roof with a Kalpataru roof, there is a homestay terrace, doors and windows with kawung motifs and exposed brick frames, bedrooms with exposed bricks and adequate lodging facilities, clean standard bathrooms and pots or barrels for washing hands,” said Iwan.

It is hoped that Sarhunta's presence can encourage the economy of the community around Borobudur Temple and improve the quality of housing.