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Assam will exhibit the Vrindavani Vastra, a 16th-century silk textile by Srimanta Sankardeva, loaned by the British Museum in 2027 after a new museum is built with JSW’s support.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma announced ambitious plans to bring the 16th-century textile home (X)
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday announced that the British Museum in London has agreed to loan the silk textile ’Vrindavani Vastra’, created by Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardeva in the 16th century, to the state for exhibition in 2027.
While addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Sarma said the British Museum had, for the first time, come forward to loan the Vrindavani Vastra to Assam for 18 months, subject to the fulfilment of conditions.
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“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 to loan it for display, provided a museum, meeting environmental and security standards, is set up in the state”, Sarma said.
The Chief Minister said that efforts to bring the textile back have been ongoing for several years. Assam is now working closely with the British Museum, JSW, and the Indian Ambassador to Britain to facilitate the loan.
The Assam government has already allotted land for the museum, and JSW has committed to constructing it under their CSR initiative before handing it over to the state government. The Chief Minister expressed confidence that the Vrindavani Vastra will be displayed in Assam by 2027.
“We have already allotted land to them for the purpose. After a long time, we are moving towards our cherished dream of bringing the textile to the state,” the CM said.
The officials of the British Museum had visited the state and reviewed the existing museums, but did not find it suitable for display, and so “we decided to construct a new one”, Sarma said.
“I have already written to the Centre seeking ’Sovereign Guarantee’, an undertaking to be given to the British Museum that it will be returned after 18 months without any damage”, he said.
The Vrindavani Vastra is a silk textile, woven in Assam under the guidance of saint-reformer Srimanta Sankardeva. It depicts scenes from the life of Lord Krishna at the request of Koch king Nara Narayan and also has a part of a poem written by him.
It is believed that pieces of Vrindavani Vastra were taken to Tibet during the 17th/18th century and collected by British explorers during the 19th/20th century.
Later, the India Museum acquired them and transferred them to the British Museum.
The textile serves as a testament to Assamese weaving, incorporating elements from various artistic traditions, and travelled from Assam to Tibet before being acquired by the British Museum in 1904.
(With inputs from agencies)
About the Author
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben…Read More
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben… Read More
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Guwahati [Gauhati], India, India
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