Vrindavani Vastra : In News
Assam is likely to get the revered 16th-century “Vrindavani Vastra” from the British Museum in London for exhibition in 2027.
- The Vrindavani Vastra is a silk textile woven in Assam.
- The childhood stories of Lord Krishna in Vrindavan, his divine pastimes, and various events are woven with thread on this cloth.
- It was created under the guidance of Srimanta Sankardeva, at the request of Koch king Nara Narayan, who ruled over parts of modern-day Assam and West Bengal.
- Notably, Nara Nararan had sheltered Sankardeva after the Vaishnav saint was targeted by the Ahom kingdom on the instigation of Brahmin priests in the state.
- 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.
- The exhibit, acquired by the British Museum, is nine and a half metres long and is made up of several pieces of silk drapes and originally featured 15 separate pieces that were later assembled.
- A masterpiece of sacred art, the Vrindavani Vastra is a central part of Assamese Vaishnavism.
