The Bihar Museum in Patna has been ranked 9th in the world and first in Asia on travel magazine Worth a Journey's 2026 list of the world's 100 best museums, Mint reported. It placed ahead of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, at 10th, and the Louvre in Paris, at 31st.
About the museum
The museum opened in 2015 on a 13-acre campus designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Fumihiko Maki. Its collection traces Bihar's history back to the Stone Age, from the Didarganj Yakshi sculpture to rare manuscripts, coins and folk art.
The reaction
Industrialist Anand Mahindra called the ranking "staggering" and a potential "game changer" for museums in India. "It raises the bar for EVERY museum that exists in this country, and every museum yet to be built," he wrote on X, crediting former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who conceived the project.
Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary invited Mr. Mahindra to visit the museum and to explore partnerships in industry, agriculture, technology and tourism. Mr. Mahindra thanked him and said he would take up the invitation when he next visits Bihar.
Why it matters
The ranking puts a State museum, not a national one in Delhi or Mumbai, at the top of Asia's list. It gives Bihar a new draw for tourists, alongside its Buddhist circuit, at a time when the State is trying to attract investment.