One of the most common possession of people across the entire spectrum of society all over the world, unarguably, is the humble sandal credited with a history of several centuries. Sculptors and painters of frescoes don’t seem to have sidelined footwear of Gods and Goddesses in their works. Yet, there is reason to remark that hardly any poet or essayist has bestowed attention to the footwear, traditionally looked down upon, despite being benefited by the protective wear. Ironically enough, while divine beings featured in the land’s epics are seen wearing sandals of whatever design, the practice of leaving them outside dwellings and shrines portrays the people’s outlook of showing the sandal its place as it were. Arabs are said to keep their footwear right in front of them while offering their prayers, not to be disturbed by the thought of losing the prized possession, unlike the devout of other faiths known to be perturbed about its safety as they are doing their rounds inside the shrine. Disciples of Seers have to scrupulously comply with the practice of presenting themselves barefoot at the time of darshan. The expression my foot, in a show of anger, doesn’t see the ubiquitous wear in good light.
Keeping aside the negative image accorded to footwear, even walking about barefoot, virtually hurting the sacredness of mother earth, is an act that calls for asking forgiveness. The land’s scholars of a distant past have prescribed chanting the verse Samudravasane devi… Paadasparsham kshamaswame as a mark of expressing gratitude to earth, soon after waking up in the morning. Walking about wearing footwear amounts to adding insult to injury as it were.
