Bihar Museum in Patna ranks ninth among top 100 global museums
The institution topped the list of Asian museums and features works such as the Didarganj Yakshi.
The Bihar Museum in Patna has been ranked ninth on a list of 100 museums worldwide and topped the list of Asian museums, according to The New Indian Express.
Designed by Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki and Mumbai-based Opolis Architects, the museum holds a five-star GRIHA rating for sustainable design. The project began in 2011 following an international design contest to replace the ageing Patna Museum.
The museum houses the Didarganj Yakshi, a Chunar sandstone sculpture traditionally attributed to the Mauryan period. The sculpture was discovered in 1917 by Maulavi Qazi Sayyid Muhammad Azimul near the River Ganges and was later moved to the Patna Museum before finding a place at the Bihar Museum.
Other notable exhibits include two terracotta busts of a boy and a girl that show Greek stylistic influences. The collection also features the Lady with a Parrot, a stone sculpture from the Gupta period.
The museum displays contemporary art, including a seven-metre-wide circular sculpture titled Yantra by artist Subodh Gupta. Created in 2017, the installation uses steel utensils and kitchen appliances to form a cosmic wheel shape.