TRADITIONAL FOOTWEAR OF

INDIA
CHARAN PADUKA.
INTRODUCTION
Paduka is the name of India's oldest,
most quintessential footwear. It is little
more than a sole with a post and
knob, which is engaged between the
big and second toe.[2]
It exists in a variety of forms and
materials throughout India. They
might be made in the shape of actual
feet, or of fish, for example, and are
made of wood, ivory and even silver.
They are sometimes elaborately
decorated. The more elaborate shoes
could be part of a bride's trousseau,
but could also be given as religious

offerings or be themselves the object

of veneration.[1]
Although simple wooden padukas
could be worn by common people,
padukas of fine teak, ebony and
sandalwood, inlaid with ivory or wire,
were a mark of the wearer's high
status.[2]
Today paduka as footwear is generally
worn by mendicants and saints of
Hindu and Jain religions. Its
significance in Hindu mythology is
linked to the epic Ramayana.It also
refers to the footprints of deities and
saints that are venerated.[1][3][4][5]
Paduka also means foot prints of
Hindu gods such as Vishnu, Shiva and
other religious icons that are
worshipped in this symbolic form in
houses and also in temples built for
this purpose. One such temple is

the Gaya temple dedicated

to Vishnupada or Vishnu's feet.
Similarly, Buddha's foot prints are
worshipped under the Bodhi
tree in Bodh Gaya.[5][6]
It is also the royal symbol (not as a
foot wear but as a headgear)
in Malaysia termed as Seri Paduka
denoting "His Majesty", which is a title
bestowed as an honour of recognition
to the dignitaries of Malaysian court
for their outstanding contribution to
the betterment of their State.
ETYMOLOGY
compound word made up of two
words namely, "pada" and "ka".
In Sanskrit language, 'Pda' means:
"foot" (masculine noun) and ka is a
diminutive ending with literal
meaning of "small". This terminology

was coined to define India's ancient

Paduka archetypal footwear.[1]

LEGEND
The word pada (foot) is cited in the
ancient Hindu scripture - Rigveda, as
representing the universe namely
the Prithvi (earth), Vayu (air),Akash (
sky) and the element of the realm
beyond the sky.[6]
In the Hindu epic Ramayana,
King Dasaratha who had a curse on
him, sent his
son Rama (an incarnation of
god Vishnu) for 14 years of exile, at
the behest of his wife Kaikeyi (step
mother of Rama) as she wanted her
son Bharata to be crowned as the
king. Rama, his consort Sita and
brother Laksmana went into a forest
to spend their period of exile. But
Bharata did not want to have the
kingdom. He, therefore, met Rama

who was living in the forest and

beseeched him to return to Ayodhya.
When Rama told Bharata that he will
return only after completing his
fourteen years in the forest, Bharata
requested for Rama's paduka to
serve as his proxy, to be crowned in
Ayodhya Raj Singhasan (King's
throne) ofKosala country and to
serve as an object of veneration for
Rama's followers. Bharata carried
Rama's golden sandals (padukas)
with great reverence by placing them
on his head as a mark of his
obedience to his elder brother.
Bharata ruled Kosala as Rama's
proxy in the name of "Ram's
Padukas".

SANDAL STRUCTURE
The foot wear is typically a sandal,
which has generally a wooden sole
with a post and a stub to provide
grip to the foot between the big and

second toes. It is also known

as karrow, kharawan and karom and
used in the Indian
subcontinentmostly by mendicants,
saints and common man for special
occasions.[1] Made in the shape of the
foot prints, with two narrow and
curved stilts, the design is specific to
ensure that the principle of nonviolence - practised by the saintly
followers of Hindu and Jain religions is not violated by accidental
trampling on insects and vegetation.
The often heard prayer on the lips of
a Brahmin wearing such a paduka
is:"Forgive me Mother Earth the sin
of injury, the violence I do, by
placing my feet upon you th."[8]is
morning
Padukas made of ivory are a popular
use among royalty and saints. These
are, however, made from ivory of
dead elephants or extracted from
live domesticated elephants.

Elephants are not killed for the

purpose of making such sandals
because Hindu religious ethos does
not permit such cruel acts.[9] Padukas
are also worn by common people.
But people of high status in the
society wear padukas made out of
fine teak, ebony and sandalwood and
inlaid with ivory or wire. It is also
made in the shape of a fish, as a
symbol of fertility.[10]
Other forms of padukas worn on
special occasions are: Silver Paduka
incised with silver or of wood
covered with silver plates and
sometimes adorned with bells to
sound upon walking; Bronze Padukas
and Brass Padukas with significance
for ritual and ceremonial use.[11]
A unique pair of wooden padukas has
toe knobs inlaid with ivory lotus
flowers and is minutely painted. At
each step, a trigger mechanism in
the sole signals the lotus to open

from bud to blossom. It is also made

in the shape of an hourglass or with
carved toes.[3]
An eighteenth century foot wear
used as ritual wear made of "wood
with bed of sharp iron spikes" has
been found. It is inferred that it was
meant to be used to inflict pain to
the wearer to demonstrate his
conviction in religious forbearance of
pain.[3]

VENERATION
Paduka is also gifted as part of a
bride's dowry. They are worshipped
and also given as votive offerings by
the faithful believers.[8]
In a festival associated with the
Hindu god Vithoba, pilgrims travel to
his Pandharpur temple

from Alandi and Dehutowns that are

closely associated with poetsaints Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram res
pectively, carrying the Padukas of
the saints in a
silver palkhi (palanquin).
The popular religious belief is that of
the contact (sparsh) with
the Salabhanjika yakshini's foot. It is
said that when the Yakshini encircles
a dormant tree with her leg around
it, it starts to blossom and bear
fruit. Shalabhanjika yakshi is also an
embellishment in the form of an
architectural bracket in many Hindu
temples.[6]
Another notable feature of
veneration is of goddess Lakshmi,
the goddess of prosperity.
On Deepavali festival day, Lakshmi is
devotionally ushered into the house
by symbolic representation with a
series of her foot prints (paduka)
drawn in paint or kolam and lighted

all along with oil lamps, from the

main door of the house into the private
sanctum in the house. This is done
with the prayerful wish that good
fortune shall be bestowed by her on
the householders.[4]
Below the Bodhi tree at Bodh
Gaya where Buddha got
enlightenment, there is a vacant
throne that is adorned with the foot
prints on a foot rest of the Buddha.
This place is deeply venerated.
[6
VISHNUPADA MANDIR IS said to
enshrine the footprints of god
Vishnu.[12] This footprint denotes the
act of Vishnu subduing Gayasur by
placing his foot on Gayasur's chest.
Inside the temple, the 40
centimetres (16 in) long footprint of
Vishnu is imprinted in solid rock and
surrounded by a silver plated
octagonal open enclosure.[13] The
temple is 30 metres (98 ft)in height
and has 8 rows of elegantly carved

pillars that support the pavilion.

[14]
Within the temple precincts, the
banyan tree called the 'Akshayabat'
is located where the final rituals for
the dead takes place.
Paduka Sahasram
Paduka Sahasram, literal meaning
"1000 verses on the padukas of the
Lord", is devotional poetry extolling
the virtues of worshipping the
Paduka (feet) of god Vishnu whose
deity is enshrined in Sri
Ranganathaswamy
Temple in Srirangamin Tamil Nadu. It
is considered a sacred script of
the Sri Sampradaya or Sri
Vaishnavism, who are known by the
surname Iyengar, also
spelt Ayyangar in South India. The
Sahasram was composed in 1008
verses in 32 chapters by
Swami Vedantha Desika, a follower
of the Vishishtadvaita philosophy
propounded by

saint Ramanujacharya. It is also said

that Desika composed this
magnamopus, as a challenge to his
rival group of Tengalai Iyengars
(Iyengars belonging to the southern
school of the Srivaishnava
philosophy), in one yamam of a night
meaning one quarter of a night,
which was acclaimed as a master
piece of religious poetry and he was
awarded the title of Mahakavi. The
eulogy of the Lord's Paduka by
Desika is spun around Rama's
sandals (Paduka), which ruled the
kingdom of Ayodhya for 14 years. He
propounds that it was due to the
special relationship that people of
Ayodhya had with Rama's Paduka
that they attained liberation,
meaning salvation in life.[15][16]
Guru Paduka Panchakam
Adi Shankaracharya has also written
nine devotional verses under the
title "Guru Paduka Panchakam" as

salutations to his guru, in this case

meaning the Lord. The English
language translation of the first
verse means:[17]
Salutations and Salutations to the
sandals of my Guru,
Which is a boat, which helps me,
cross the endless ocean of life,
Which endows me, with the sense of
devotion to my Guru,
And by worship of which, I attain the
dominion of renunciation.

HISTORY
History of footwear in India can be
traced back through centuries old
Hindu, Buddhist and Jain scriptures
as well as several sculptures, coins
and paintings.
Footwear have been in usage in
ancient India as a necessity as well

as luxurious item. There are found a

large number of written and physical
evidences, which prove that history
of footwear goes back to centuries
old Vedic period. Let's cast a glance
over the history of shoes and sandals
along with interesting facts.
Written evidences of the origin of
footwear in India
Footwear find mention in plenty of
Hindu, Buddhist and Jain scriptures
thereby testify that these were being
worn by Indians since an erstwhile
era.
* In ancient Indian texts Rigveda,
Yajurveda Samhita, Atharvaveda,
Brahmans and Panini Grammer,
footwear has been mentioned with
Sanskrit term ' Upanah' or 'Upanat'.
These footwear (sandals and shoes)
were made from grass, wood and

leather.
* As per great epic Ramayana,
Bharata rerurned from Chitrakuta
carrying the Rama's paduka (toeknob sandal or khadau) and ruled
the Ayodhya after placing the
paduka on a throne in Nandigram, as
Rama's proxy. Ravana also holds an
umbrella and wears shoes while
assuming the form of ascetic for
Sita's abduction.
* According to Mahabharata,once
Jamadagni got enraged seeing her
wife Renuka exhausted in scorching
sun and started sending arrows
against Sun god. Then Sun god
presented him a pair of sandals and
an umbrella to protect against the
heat from below and above. In this
great epic, shoes (upnate) and
sandal or toe knob sandal (paduka or
padu) are clearly differentiated. It

also mentions that footwear stealer

is born as an Otikyata (a lizard)
* In Shrimad Bhagwat Puran, Lord
Vamana is mentioned wearing
umbrella and shoes. Lord Krishna
never wore shoes while herding the
cows.
* As per Brahma Vaivarta Purana,
one should not wear the shoes
already worn by others.
* According to Garud purana, sandals
and umbrella should be gifted on
`Sraddha' day. Shoes stealer is born
from sheeps' wombs.
* As per Vasstue shastra, footwear
should be placed in south-west
direction of hall and never in
bedroom.
* While leaving the princely life in
5th century BC, Lord Buddha is
mentioned in scriptures having taken
off his sandals.

* n Mahavagga, a section of Buddhist

scripture Vinaya Pitaka (5th century
BCE ), sandals made of fancy
materials were forbidden for monks
and nuns. It mentions 4 types of
shoes, which include Putabaddha
(covering ankle), Tittirapttika (shape
like partridge wings and adorned
with horns of ram or goat),
Padigunthima (full boot) and
Tulapunnika (padded with cotton
wool). Sandals with separate point
like scorpion's sting and adorned
with peacock feather were largely
demanded but were forbidden for
Buddhist monks.
* Banabhatta, the court-poet of
emperor Harsh Vardhan has
mentioned in his book Harshacharita
(7th century) footwear.
* Mahavyutpatti (800-815 CE), which
contains the Sanskrit and Tibetan

terms for understanding Buddhist

texts has mentioned the footwear as
Padavestanika, Pula, Manda-pulah
etc.
* n Jain scripture Brihat Kalpa Sutra
Bhasya the guidelines for the attires
and footwear of monks and nuns are
given.
* Abhidhan Cintamani of
Hemchandracharya (11th century)
footwear are classified in several
categories including Upanat (shoes),
Paduka (sandals), Padarakasana etc.
* Paduka Sahasram of Swami
Vedantha Desika (1269 AD-1370 AD)
contains the 1000 verses on the
padukas of Lord Vishnu, whose
statue is enshrined in Sri
Ranganathaswamy Temple (Tamil
Nadu).

Physical evidences of the

footwear in India
Following sculptures, coins and
paintings also throw a light upon the
centuries old history of footwear in
India:
* During the archeological excavation
in Chandraketugarh (West Bengal),
footwear of 200 BC with raised heel
and floral motifs are found. Further,
a terracotta sculpture (1st century)
also wears a V shape sandal or
chappal.
* Buddhist statues (3rd & 4th
century) of Gandhara are portrayed
wearing strapped sandals
* Numismatics have found the coins
of Kushan period (130BC to 185AD)
and Gupta period (320 to 550 AD),
which feature kings wearing full
boots.

Ajanta cave paintings (4th to 5th

century) also portray the people
wearing stockings along with full
boots.
* n some early Sanchi sculptures (3rd
to12th century BCE) foreigners are
depicted wearing boots.
* Amongst all Hindu deities, only Sun
god is portrayed wearing the
footwear. Modhera Sun temple ( 11th
century CE) of Gujarat shows him
wearing a belt and long shoes. The
granite Sun statue of Dakshinaarka
Sun Temple (13th century) of Gaya
depicts him wearing a jacket, waist
girdle and high boots.
* Bronze statue Chola period (11th to
2th century AD) also depicts the
Bharat holding Ram's paduka over
his head. Pahari Miniature painting
of (17th century) shows Bharat
worshiping Ram's paduka.
*

Interesting facts about the

footwear
Below mentioned are some
interesting facts about the footwear
in Indian during modern era:* Paduka of Lord Rama are
worshiped even now also in Ram
Paduka temples situated in
Rameshwaram (Tamilnadu), Ramtek
(Maharashtra) and other places.
* In Chencherimali Temple of South
India, devotees carry leather sandals
in honor of Lord Subrahmanya
(Kartikeya, Murugan), as he is
believed to wear leather shoes. His
wife Valli is worshiped in form of
sandal pairs in Marudhamalai,
Chennilais, Palani and Sivanmalai
(Tamil Naidu).
* In Vithoba festival, pilgrims travel
to Pandharpur temple (Maharashtra)

carrying the Padukas of saints

Tukaram and Dnyaneshwar in a silver
palanquin.
* In dian oleograph of Ravi Varma
(19th century) shows Ramas
padukas and sword placed on a
throne.
* Mahatma Gandhiji learnt the art of
handcrafting shoes in South Africa
and made a pair of shoes in African
jail. While leaving the Africa, he
presented shoes to president
General Smutts, who was cruel
towards Indians. Smutts kept it for
24 years and returned it to Gandhi
on latter's 60th birthday. Gandhi also
set up a tannery in Sabarmati
Ashram (Ahmedabad) and made
simple chappal a symbol of India's
self-sufficiency during 20th century
independence movement.