The troupe that will perform in Europe poses for a picture outside the Uttar Kamalabari Xatra. Telegraph picture

Guwahati, June 11: Tales of Vishnu woven on a silken cloth will soon enthral audiences in Paris, through a dance drama performed by artistes from Majuli.

Neo-Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardev had meticulously captured scenes from the lives of avatars of Vishnu, from the Ramayan and the Puranas and from Krishna’s childhood home of Vrindavan, on the cloth known as Vrinadavani vastra. Four centuries later, Sattriya exponent Bhabananda Barbayan’s dance drama Vrindavana Yatra, based on the scenes depicted on the cloth, will be performed in France, Switzerland and Germany in a monthlong programme, starting Thursday.

Barbayan, from Uttar Kamalabari xatra in Majuli, has choreographed the 70-minute dance drama. Seven dances based on six avatars of lord Vishnu — matsya, kurma, Narasimha, Ram and Krishna — will be presented.

The other members of Barbayan’s troupe, Satraranga, are Gobinda Kalita Bayan, Upen Bora, Niranjan Saikia, Mukunda Saikia, Baburam Saikia, Sarbananda Duwaria, Dipan Barua, Dwipendra Sarma and Madhab Kalita.

These textiles were first made around 1567-69 under Sankardev’s supervision.

Barbayan today said the original Vrindavani vastra is preserved in 16 parts in 15 different museums across the globe. “One of them is in the National Museum of Asian Art, Guimet, in Paris. The piece is seven feet eight inches long and two feet eight inches wide. My dance drama is based on this piece,” said Barbayan.

The Indian Council of Cultural Relations and Kaleidans’ Scop, a cultural organisation of France, are organising the programme.

On June 14 and 16, Barbayan will give lecture-cum-demonstration at Musee Guimet in Paris, followed by 20 other performances. The troupe will return on July 16.

Barbayan said he saw the piece of Vrindavani vastra in Paris for the first time in 2008.“But the concept of turning the paintings into a dance drama struck me in 2010 when I visited the country again,” he said.

Xattriya dancer Mallika Kandali said it was the first time that a dance has been created out of paintings on cloth.

“When I saw the performance of Barbayan’s dance drama at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati recently, I was amazed. It will help remove all doubts regarding the origin of the vastra,” said Kandali.

Barbayan said, according to researchers, the Vrinadavani vastra was taken to Bhutan and then to Tibet before being shipped off to Europe by European merchants.