Sikh museums are unusual as their display consists of modern history paintings depicting scenes from the Sikh past rather than historical artefacts. These paintings are ubiquitous in popular visual culture. The key questions examined in this article are: when, why, and by whom are Sikh museums created; the significance of the museum’s presence in popular culture; the notion of heritage in these museums; and their role in contemporary India. A study of Sikh museums is valuable in understanding the museum as an institution and its influence on the heritage politics of contemporary India.
