British Museum to Loan Sankardeva's 'Vrindavani Vastra' for Display in Assam in 2027

The British Museum has agreed to loan Sankardeva’s 16th-century Vrindavani Vastra to Assam for 18 months in 2027. A new museum will be built to host it, funded by the JSW Group. The textile, currently in London, is a rare cultural artifact depicting scenes from Lord Krishna’s life.

In a landmark development, the British Museum has agreed to loan the 16th-century textile masterpiece Vrindavani Vastra, created under the guidance of Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardeva, for public display in Assam in 2027. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed the announcement on Saturday, calling it a significant cultural milestone for the state.

The Vrindavani Vastra is a nine-and-a-half-metre-long silk textile that portrays episodes from the life of Lord Krishna and includes part of a poem written by Sankardeva. Commissioned by Koch king Nara Narayan, it serves as a rich representation of Assamese weaving and artistic traditions.

Acquired by the British Museum in 1904 from Tibet, the textile will be loaned to Assam for 18 months. However, the British Museum has set stringent conditions for its release, including the requirement of a state-of-the-art facility that meets international standards of security and climate control.

To meet these conditions, the JSW Group has committed to constructing a new museum in Assam as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative. The state government has already allocated land for the project.

“We’ve been trying to bring the textile back for a long time so people can witness this priceless heritage. Now, we are finally moving towards that dream,” Sarma said. He added that a request for a 'Sovereign Guarantee' has been sent to the Centre to assure the British Museum of the textile's safe return.

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British Museum officials had earlier visited Assam but found current museum infrastructure inadequate, prompting the plan for a dedicated museum. The upcoming exhibit will mark the first time the Vrindavani Vastra is displayed in its place of origin in over a century.