ROHILAS IN INDIA 2014: 1 Mumbai Airport

February 18, 2014

Tired and sleepy, we reached our home in Keizer, Oregon, around 6 p.m., on February 19, about 36 hours after leaving our cousin's home in Mumbai. We look forward to a few days of rest and relaxation at our home, while we empty our suit cases, and catch-up with mail received and things left undone, during our 5-week travels in India.

In Mumbai, we used the recently completed Terminal 2 of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. The terminal is connected by a six-lane elevated road to the Western Express Highway.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai

There is an expansive Arrival Hall.

Interiors are colorful.

Mumbai Airport Interiors

The 18-foot high walls of its corridors and some stand-alone areas display the world's largest public art program - 6,000 pieces of Indian art from the 8th to the 19th century.

Its ceilings are covered with lotus-shaped chandeliers. Also there is a curtain with ten-thousand diyas (earthen lamps).

Lotus-shaped chandeliers, Mumbai Airport

Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merr ill (SOM), and built by Larsen & Toubro, the new T2 covers 210,000 square meters (51.9 acres). Its 42 meter (137.8 ft) high roof employs over 20,000 metric tons (22046.2 tons) of fabricated steel, and covers 30  acres. It is equipped with 188 check-in counters, 136 immigration counters, 10 baggage carousels, 73 elevators, and 47 escalators.

We were at Departure Gate 73 for our Cathay Pacific flight.

Departure Gate 73, Mumbai Airport

Here are some views of the area around the Departure Gate 73.

Around Departure Gate 73, Mumbai Airport

Around Departure Gate 73, Mumbai Airport

By the way, there were outlets for laptops and cell phones (behind Kundan). But none of them had power!

You can view some videos about the new terminal at http://wn.com/mumbai_airport

I will write more about our travels in India, in the subsequent posts.