Assam govt inks pact with British Museum to borrow 16th-century silk textile themed on Lord Krishna

Guwahati, Nov 17 (PTI) The Assam government on Monday signed a loaning arrangement with the British Museum, London, for display of the 'Vrindavani Vastra', a 16th-century silk textile depicting the life of Lord Krishna, in the state in 2027, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The Vrindavani Vastra was created under the guidance of Assamese cultural icon Srimanta Sankardeva, at the request of Koch king Nara Narayan, and it also has a part of a poem written by him.

The exhibit, acquired in 1904 from Tibet by the British Museum, is nine-and-a-half metres long and is made of several pieces of silk drapes. It originally featured 15 pieces that were later assembled.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in London, in the presence of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

“The Vrindavani Vastra is not just a textile; it is a symbol of Assam’s rich spiritual and cultural heritage, reflecting the devotion and vision of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev,” Sarma said in a post on X.

A priceless heritage returns to where it truly belongs, he said.

“The signing of the Letter of Intent with the British Museum to bring it back home under a loaning arrangement marks a red-letter moment which strengthens our connection to Assam’s timeless legacy,” the CM said.

This would be the first time that a portion of the textile will be on display in the state after it was taken away over at least a century ago, with fragments ending up as artefacts in museums across the world.

Sarma, who had reached London over the weekend for signing of the pact, said in a post on X earlier in the day that London’s British Museum is a timeless repository of the phenomenal evolution of human civilisation.

The chief minister, before flying to the British capital on Friday, had said the JSW group of companies has been playing a leading role in facilitating this "homecoming" of the tapestry that displays tales from Lord Krishna's life in the hand-woven silk piece.

The group took the initiative of putting the Assam government in contact with the British Museum and is also taking the responsibility of building a museum of international standards in Guwahati to display the Vrindavani Vastra, he had said.

He said the Indian High Commissioner to the UK is involved in the process and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also remaining updated.

The piece of textile was routed out of Assam through Tibet, with major fragments of it ending up on display in London and Paris museums, with some parts also in Boston and Los Angeles museums, Sarma said.

He had said that it will be the first time that the Vrindavani Vastra will be brought to Assam in at least over a century, with many generations of Assamese people missing on the opportunity to view it first-hand. PTI SSG NN