Guwahati, August 30: In what is being described as a historic cultural milestone for Assam, the British Museum in London has agreed to loan the 16th-century silk masterpiece Vrindavani Vastra—created under the guidance of Vaishnav saint-reformer Srimanta Sankardeva—for public display in Assam in 2027. Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made the announcement on Saturday, calling it the fulfilment of a long-cherished dream.
“Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva’s Vrindavani Vastra is a unique textile that depicts the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu. This sacred artefact is currently preserved in the British Museum, and the process to bring it back to Assam has now begun,” Sarma posted on X.
The Vrindavani Vastra—a nine-and-a-half metre-long textile depicting episodes from the life of Lord Krishna and incorporating parts of Sankardeva’s poems—was originally woven in the 16th century at the request of Koch king Nara Narayan. The work, a testament to the ingenuity of Assamese weaving traditions, travelled from Assam to Tibet before being acquired by the British Museum in 1904.
According to Sarma, the British Museum has set strict conditions for the loan, including the establishment of a state-of-the-art museum in Assam that meets international environmental and security standards. “We have been trying to bring the textile for a long time so that people can see it, and now the British Museum has agreed, provided a suitable museum is set up,” Sarma said.
To this end, the JSW Group has agreed to build a world-class facility in Assam as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative and hand it over to the state government as a gift. “We have already allotted land for the project, and this takes us closer to realising our cherished dream of bringing the textile home,” the chief minister added.
The museum’s officials had earlier inspected existing facilities in Assam but found them unsuitable to host the delicate exhibit. The new museum, once complete, will house the Vastra for 18 months in 2027, giving Assamese people a rare chance to witness their cultural treasure after centuries abroad.
Sarma confirmed that he has already written to the Centre seeking a sovereign guarantee an undertaking to the British Museum that the textile will be returned intact after the exhibition period.
The Vrindavani Vastra is not merely a piece of fabric, but a civilisational artefact representing Assam’s syncretic spiritual and artistic legacy. Its return, even temporarily, is being hailed as a moment of profound pride and cultural resurgence for the state.