Vrindavani Vastra-Human Mind bending reality since time immemorial
‘Aesthetic sensibility , is nothing but a capacity of wonder more elevated than the ordinary one’
The Vrindavani Vastra literally means the ‘Cloth of Vrindavan’. It was created in the present state of Assam, North East India sometimes in the late 16th century.
Vrindavani Vastra on display at the British Museum will move away all the dinginess of the hearts to Euphoria. The tapestry before you is a class of its own.
The main architect of this famous and elegant piece was none other than Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev , the great vaishnavite saint of Assam, who was a Religious and Cultural leader, Social reformer, an Inventor, Architect, Musician ,Poet, Dramatist, Dancer and the Discoverer of Assamese textile industry through Vrindavani Vastra.
Story behind the Vrindavani Vastra
The story behind this divine weave needs to be told. It is unlikely that many in our part of the world would know about it. The British Museum displays not only great textiles but also a whole textile tradition, in fact — that came from Assam some 400 years or more ago. This ancient Assamese textile is over 9 meters long (length 937 centimeters and width 231 centimeters) and is the largest surviving example of this type of textile anywhere in the world.
It is a piece the like of which you do not see now. Its total of 12 pieces hang in few museums around the globe. Those weavers and those times are gone. You try to speculate about those times, those weavers and the underlying faith that inspired men to weave an art so sublime that it transcends human limitations and makes it appear effortless and blessed!
Three things, if it can be simplified so, were responsible for the creation of this heavenly weave; leadership of Srimanta Shankardeva, the socio-cultural factors of 16th century Assam and patronage by a transformed king.
Creative Forces behind the Vrindavani Vastra
If you try to contextualize Shankardeva, in the times in which he was born, then you can understand the inevitability of this divine tapestry. Srimanta Sanakardeva was born into the Shiromani (chief) Baro — Bhuyans family at Alipukhuri near Bordowa in 1499 in Assam. It was a time of conflict and churning. It was also a time of resurgence, revival of simple faith, simple literature and a direct connect with masses through bhakti. This was the time when saints like Nanak, Mirabai, Kabir, Ramananda, and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu were leading the path of bhakti.
Sankardeva was a child of these times. He craved for a simple faith, a simple religion that could heal the Assamese society torn apart by orthodoxy, sectarianism and fanaticism. In the course of his travels he witnessed the Bhakti movement sweeping across the country.
His own inclination towards surrender to a personal God through sadhna and bhakti found resonance with the Neo- Vaishnavite movement. It is said that Jagannath Mishra’s narration of Bhagavatam at Puri opened his eyes to single minded devotion to Krishna.
Sankardeva disapproved of idol worship. In the namghars, community prayer houses that were set up by Shankardeva, the focus of worship was Bhagvata Purana. Srimanta harnessed art for spreading the message of Eksharana. A devotional song (borgeet) a spectacle of high melodrama (Ankiya Nat) actors traversing the stage in masks, a homely verse for community chanting, a dance portraying the life of the Lord (Sattriya) would all become vehicles for the propagation of his faith. Krishna was the sole worshipful and single minded refuge in him would lead to salvation and bliss was the simple philosophy of Eksharana.
In the Namghars, the Vaishnavite silks were used to cover the manuscript and were draped over the altar on which the Bhagvata Purana was placed. This was the significance of Vaishnavite silk in Eksharna. But the Vrindavani Vastra was no ordinary altar piece.
Story of Royal Patronage
According to Katha Guru Charitra, a chronicle of events during the saint’s lifetime, the genesis of Vrindavan Vastra: It was woven at the behest of the King Narnarayan and his brother, Chairali. During his visits to the Koch Behar royal court, Sankaradeva often regaled Chilarai with descriptions of the fun-filled childhood days of the young Krishna in Vrindavan. The prince was enthralled, and wished he could partake of the experience by sniffing Shankardeva’s lips as he spoke. Sankaradeva replied that, for the prince’s enjoyment, he would have the narrative inscribed on cloth in a graphic form if only the king could assure him of the required quantity of silk yarns of different colours!
The king used his royal prerogative, assured him and appointed Shankardeva as the Baro- Bhuyan (Chief Administer) of Tantikuchi.
Migration from the palace to the Monastery- Lamas and Lampa
The famous textile lost its royal moorings and had a second history in Tibet.
The weave traveled via the route of trade or loot you do not know. How and why did this huge and heavy textile travel so far can be an excellent theme for a whodunit.
The 12 strips were taken to Tibet. They were stitched together and then re-used as a hanging in a Tibetan monastery. It was now patched with a broad border made from Chinese-style silk material and on the top part of this textile, metal rings were attached to suspend it from the ceiling or the wall. It reincarnated itself as a Buddhist Thangka and was revered because it came from the land of Buddha! Does not matter that it depicts the life and times of Krishna.
Journey to London
The Vrindavani Vastra was acquired by Perceval Landon, a Times newspaper reporter covering the British military expedition to Tibet in 1903–04. Landan presented the textile to the British Museum in 1905.
The exile of the Royal Textile
The celestial tapestry was lost to the world, for the next 85 years! It was stored, filed and catalogued under the category of ‘Tibetan Silk Lampas’ by the British Museum — as Tibet was their last known place of origin!.
Finally, by a quirk of fate and persistent efforts of Rosemary Crill, Curator of the Indian Department of London’s Victoria & Albert (V&A) Museum, in 1992, the huge fabric at the British Museum was identified as Vrindavani Vastra from Assam.
Vrindavani Vastra is a stellar example of what glories ordinary mortals are capable of when inspired! It immortalizes the king, the saint, the weavers of Tantikuchi and the spirit of bhakti that made this creation a possibility.
Standing in front of this piece you ponder over its journey. Feeble attempts have been made by the Indian government to get the Vastra back but you know that it is not coming back.
