Himanta, JSW foundation chief discuss state-of-the-art museum for 'Vrindavani Vastra'

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the JSW Foundation chairperson Sangita Jindal, held a detailed discussion regarding the construction of a state-of-the-art museum in Guwahati, where the 16th-century silk textile 'Vrindavani Vastra' will be displayed.

Created by Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardeva, the Vrindavani Vastra is currently housed at the British Museum in London, and will be loaned to Assam in 2027 for public display.

"A Historic Step for Assam's Cultural Heritage. Today, I had a detailed discussion with the Smti Sangita Jindal, Chairperson of @JSWFoundation regarding the construction of a world-class museum in Guwahati to house the priceless Vrindavani Vastra," Sarma said in a post on X on Saturday.

"This extraordinary 16th-century textile masterpiece - woven during the time of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva - will come to Assam on loan in 2027," he said.

To honour its legacy, JSW will build a state-of-the-art museum in Guwahati, designed as per global standards, following specifications of the British Museum, the chief minister added.
Sarma had said on August 30 that the British Museum agreed to loan the Vrindavani Vastra and had set certain conditions, including a state-of-the-art facility, for its display in the state for 18 months.

The JSW group of companies will be setting up the museum as a part of its CSR initiative, he had added.

In addition to the physical exhibit, the British Museum has agreed to develop a high-quality digital representation of the Vrindavani Vastra, which will be exhibited in February 2026 at the Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra. This digital version will also be made available online, allowing people from all over the world to view it.

Vrindavani Vastra was created under the guidance of Srimanta Sankardeva, depicting 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.

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

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.