Your Shoes Ain't Allowed Inside ...but you're welcome!

I found this electric shoe polishing and shoe shining machine at a local hotel. But no one seemed to be using this machine.

The automated shoe brushing and polishing machine itself was very clean and shining. It had provision for two types of shoes viz. black and brown / tan coloured surface. There was a neutral wax / cream container at the center.

I got attracted to it but unfortunately, I don't wear any shoes. So I too couldn't try it. But I was wondering, why do we find such machines at every big hotel or office.

I understand that these machine is used to protect the carpeted interiors from dusty and muddy shoes. But the floor of this hotel wasn't even carpeted and I don't think any reason for this machine in this hot summer weather.

In Indian culture , footwear are generally not allowed inside house or office

Instead of putting such automated shoe cleaning machines, we perceive shoes themselves as untidy and unworthy of bringing inside any building.

Many homes and offices in India don't allow shoes inside their premises including my home. Although there is no sign or notice to put down your shoes before entering, all visitors and guests habitually take off their shoes and footwear at the door itself before entering. We don't need to tell it!

This machine is used to polish leather shoes. We consider leather as what it is - the skin of a dead animal. So no question of allowing it inside a vegetarian household.

And no matter what, shoes can't be perfectly cleaned with these machines. Isn't it better to take them off?

What about the culture of washing feet

Old Indian tradition was to wash the feet with water before entering a building. When some distinct guests or visitors come to our place, it was customary for host to wash the feet of the guest to pay honour to his visit.

A couple of months back, to honour the work of sanitation workers in India, the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi washed and cleaned their feet:

_{Image sourced from News Central 24x7}

Inspirations from Golden Temple

In several temples and gurdwaras (Sikh temple), the entry gate is designed such that you will have to pass through a stream of water so that your feet get cleaned in its water.

If you've ever been to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, you can understand what I mean. In winters, lukewarm water is made available at every entry in the pathway.

Whenever I visit such places, it comes to my mind why such a design is not replicated in our homes.. It actually applies more to me as I travel barefooted. I always have to go to the washroom as soon as I enter my home.

But if big luxury hotels really want to extend a royal welcome to their guests, they should also resort to the old tradition of washing feet of the guests. At least, heritage hotels, where I took the shoe-machine picture, should initiate such a system.