Archive · 1 Sep 2025
Vrindavani Vastra: The Largest Devotional Textile
Imagine a really big, old cloth made of silk that tells stories about Krishna, a Hindu god.
It was created a long time ago in India.
Now it lives in a museum in London.
It's so large, it’s the biggest cloth of its kind still around.
The cloth was made using a special technique that needed two people to work it.
It shows Krishna's life, like a giant picture!
This cloth was saved because someone took it to Tibet long ago.
The museum plans to let Assam, where it was made, borrow it for a special showing soon.
The Vrindavani Vastra is the largest surviving devotional textile of its kind.
The textile originated in Assam and was woven in the 16th century.
Author T. Richard Blurton wrote a book about the textile's history and significance.
The British Museum acquired the Vrindavani Vastra in 1904.
The British Museum plans to loan the textile to Assam for display in 2027.
- Who
- Srimanta Sankaradeva, Chilarai, Perceval Landon, and author T. Richard Blurton
- What
- The Vrindavani Vastra, a 16th-century devotional silk textile
- When
- 16th century (weaving), 1904 (British Museum acquisition), 2027 (planned loan to Assam)
- Where
- Assam, Tibet, and the British Museum in London
- Why
- To depict scenes from Krishna's life and preserve the textile's history and significance.
- Textile Name
- Vrindavani Vastra
- Origin
- Assam, India
- Current Location
- British Museum
- Material
- Silk
- Size
- 9.37 meters long, 2.31 meters high
- Creation Technique
- Lampas
- Loan to Assam
- Planned for 2027
