How a Rs 500 Cr bet put Bihar Museum ahead of the Met and Louvre
How did Bihar Museum enter the global top 10? Shradha Sharma reflects on Nitish Kumar's vision, legal challenges and the persistence behind its success
In November 2026, the Bihar Museum in Patna secured the ninth position on The World's 100 Best Museums 2026 list, published by German travel guide Worth a Journey. This ranking places it above the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Louvre in Paris. The museum is the only Indian institution on the list and the highest-ranked museum in Asia.
Nitish Kumar, Bihar's Chief Minister, and Chanchal Kumar, a 1992-batch IAS officer, played pivotal roles in bringing the museum to fruition. The project faced significant opposition regarding its cost, relevance, and execution, with concerns raised about whether the state struggling with basic infrastructure could justify spending Rs 500 crore on a museum.
Despite these challenges, the Bihar Museum now ranks ahead of globally renowned institutions like the Met and Louvre.
Written by urgent.news from YourStory's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
