Living Tradition of Sun Worship in Bihar: Preservation of Living Heritage and Community Engagements into the Museums

Vishi Upadhyay

Living heritage, encompassing dynamic traditions, knowledge, and skills, is increasingly presented in museums through participatory, community-driven approaches rather than static displays. Modern curation moves beyond material objects to include intangible elements via live demonstrations, storytelling, and digital media, fostering collaboration with tradition bearers to ensure authentic, respectful representation. In this order, the Bihar Museum and the Patna Museum in India showcase the centuries-old living tradition of sun worship in Bihar, also known as Chhatt Puja. The regional art gallery at the Bihar Museum and the Ganga and Patali Gallery at the Patna Museum showcase this intangible cultural heritage in beautiful ways. The Sun temples at archaeological sites like Deo, Ular, and Aungari in Nalanda are still alive, and traditional worship continues. Across India, only Bihar has a living tradition of sun worship, which is the state's identity. The representation of such intangible heritage in museums fosters a strong bond between local communities and museums enhancing the scope for living heritage preservation and strategically developing people centred education and awareness for sustainable interactions.