MUSEUM INFLUENCER 2026
Dr Abira Bhattacharya is an art historian and museum professional specialising in Buddhist art and iconography across South, Southeast, and Central Asia. Her work brings together curatorial practice, anthropology, and heritage studies, with a particular focus on interpreting sacred objects within contemporary museum frameworks. At the National Museum, New Delhi, she has contributed to a range of research-driven exhibitions that bridge academic inquiry with public engagement. Recently, she also curated Comparative Buddhist Art History at the Tam Chuc Pagoda in Vietnam and remains actively involved in workshops and discussions on building careers in the museum and creative sectors.
In 2025–26, Bhattacharya played a key curatorial role in The Light and the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One at Qila Rai Pithora. The exhibition brought together repatriated relics of the Buddha alongside ancient reliquaries and jewel fragments, presenting them within a contemplative, carefully designed setting. By foregrounding both their spiritual and historical significance, the show situated these objects within broader narratives of Buddhist heritage and transnational exchange, marking an important moment in the public display of sacred material in India.
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Originally published in Museum Mosaic 2025, published May 2026.
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