Batik as Indonesia’s heritage finally gained international recognition. International body UNESCO awarded batik along with Javanese dagger kris and puppet wayang with the certificates of intangible cultural heritage and a certificate recognizing the best practice of cultural preservation.

Known for its beauty and artistic designs, batik has captured the hearts of not only Indonesians but also people of other countries and thus inspired them to produce their own batiks.

With the certificate recognizing the best practice of cultural preservation, UNESCO will grant Indonesia with elaboration projects to prepare books, movies and exhibitions.

Until a few years back, batik had lost its appeal among young Indonesians. Many considered batik as outdated and clothes worn only by older people or during wedding ceremonies.

Batik regained its popularity after the country’s top designers started producing fashionable and trendy batik clothes. Now, to maintain batik’s popularity, especially after securing the international recognition certificate and going through the fuss about a neighboring country promoting batik as its own cultural heritage, a mall of batik was finally opened.

The mall, officially called Pusat Batik Nusantara, and located at Thamrin City, Grand Indonesia complex, Jakarta, was inaugurated by Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu last week.

The place will gradually turn into a shopping mall selling handicrafts and products from around the country, including batik.

“Our dream to see small and medium entrepreneurs selling their batik products directly to consumers at a market with wider coverage has finally come true,” Pngestu said during the handicraft center launch.

Mari said Thamrin City, which focuses on selling batik and handicraft products, will open a wider market access for SMEs and at the same time will serve as an alternative place for consumers to buy batik products.

Thamrin City Chief Executive Officer Hadi Satyagraha said the mall will not only be focused on selling batiks but also other products from around the archipelago.

The mall has been introduced as a batik center since November 2009 although in a smaller scale.

Thamrin City’s turnover has now reached Rp3.5 billion.

“I think it would be too arrogant if we call it the mall of batik although we have to admit that in terms of space, we provide the biggest space for batik traders. I would say, it is most appropriate if we call it the mall of handicraft that sells batik, souvenirs and etc,” he elaborated.

Hadi explained that batik traders cover two floors of the Thamrin City building or around 500-700 traders from the total of 7,000 outlets provided at Thamrin City and generating turnover of Rp70-75 million per day each.

Various batik types from Java and Jambi, both printed and hand-made, are available at Thamrin City with prices ranging from Rp30,000 to Rp500,000 a piece.

“Our target is to sell batik from across the archipelago here,” said Hadi.

He added that the building management leases each kiosk for Rp2 million per 3 months or traders can own it by paying around Rp40 million per unit.