The Vrindavani Vastra, a 16th-century sacred silk tapestry depicting scenes from Lord Krishna’s life and currently showcased at the British Museum in London, is set to return to Assam under a formal loaning agreement.

“The Vrindavani Vastra, a symbol of Assam’s spiritual and cultural legacy, takes a historic step toward home! The signing of the MoU between the British Museum and the HCM Dr @himantabiswa-led Government of Assam under a loaning arrangement marks a proud moment for our state,” the Assam chief minister’s office stated on X on Monday night.

The sacred textile was created under the guidance of Vaishnava saint-reformer Srimanta Sankardeva and depicts the 10 variations of Lord Krishna, along with scenes from his childhood and other divine activities.

Written records suggest that pieces of the Vrindavani Vastra travelled to Tibet in the 17th or 18th century before being acquired by British explorers in the 19th and 20th centuries. It eventually entered the British Museum’s collection during the colonial period.

The CMO also posted photographs of the MoU signing and chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s tour of the museum.

The development is politically significant for the ruling BJP government, coming months ahead of the assembly elections next year, and is being projected as a major cultural achievement.

Before the signing ceremony, Sarma posted on X: “I look forward to signing an MoU to enable us to bring Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev’s iconic Vrindavani Vastra to Assam.”

On Sunday, after landing in London, he wrote: “Tomorrow is a big day for Assam and Bharat. We are signing an MoU with the British Museum so that the sacred Vrindavani Vastra can be brought back home under a loaning arrangement. Vikas and Virasat continue to be pillars of our governance agenda.”

Sarma had earlier said the textile would be loaned to Assam for 18 months in 2027, subject to specific conditions.