Roopak Goswami
Guwahati, Nov 17: In a major cultural breakthrough, the Government of Assam has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with the British Museum to bring the revered Vrindavani Vastra, a 16th-century silk textile woven under the guidance of Srimanta Sankardeva, to the state for exhibition in 2027. The signing took place in London in the presence of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
This marks the first time in more than a century that any portion of the textile, catalogued by the British Museum as As1905,0118.4, will be displayed in Assam. The nine-and-a-half-metre artwork, originally comprising 15 woven panels, depicts episodes from the life of Lord Krishna and includes a poetic verse attributed to Sankardeva. The piece left Assam through Tibet in the early 1900s, with fragments now dispersed across museums in London, Paris, Boston and Los Angeles.
The Letter of Intent commits both sides to work toward a loan of the textile to a proposed museum in Guwahati, referred to in the document as the MG. The loan will be finalised through a comprehensive agreement covering transportation, conservation protocols, insurance, security and environmental conditions required for an object highly sensitive to light.
The textile is expected to be exhibited in Assam for three to six months starting in 2027, provided the state completes an international-standard museum facility and secures the necessary funding. The LoI, which remains valid for two years, is explicitly non-binding but lays the roadmap for cooperation.
Calling the development a historic homecoming, Sarma wrote on X: “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.”
He described the signing as a “red-letter moment” that strengthens Assam’s connection to its civilizational legacy.
Sarma credited the JSW Group for initiating the dialogue with the British Museum and supporting the creation of a world-class gallery in Guwahati where the textile will be displayed. The Indian High Commissioner in London and the Prime Minister’s Office have also been closely involved in the process.
With generations of Assamese people having never seen the Vrindavani Vastra in person, the upcoming exhibition is expected to be a landmark moment for the state.
“A priceless heritage of our land returns to where it truly belongs,” Sarma said, adding that the display will strictly follow the conservation standards prescribed by the British Museum.
