If you’ve left the country or returned to it through Mumbai, you’ve had to go through Terminal 2 at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. And chances are that you’ve marvelled at the terminal and how well it has been designed. However, there may have been something you missed if you rushed through the terminal to get your flight. Did you know that there’s a museum inside the airport? Travellers pass by it every day and some of them have found it to be a source of comfort and enlightenment before and after their journeys. It’s called Jaya He GVK New Museum ( Jaya He ) and it’s absolutely wonderful.
Stone shrines, once embedded into the walls of mansions here form constellations that playfully light up the sky.
At 40 feet tall and spanning 3 km, the museum is hard to miss. It houses a combination of painted walls, old windows, suspended sculptures, ground level sculptures, ancient furniture, ancient craftworks and interactive art installations that move and play music in your presence. The museum now preserves many of these ancient wonders within its walls. It’s a haven for India’s artistic history.
Putting your hands under the dripping water creates music.
Travellers who have delayed flights or delayed pick-ups from the airport can absorb the artistic talent India has produced through the ages. Some of the art and artefacts on display go back as far the 11th Century AD. It’s a breath-taking collection that has been painstakingly put together by Rajeev Sethi, a veteran scenographer and 100 artists, 3 of whom were from out of India. 1000 artisans worked on the 83 installations that form the Jaya He museum. The Museum’s collection boasts of 5503 rare artefacts and ethnographic objects sourced from all across the country.
The museum blends real artefacts with decorated walls to set historical scenes.
Jaya He is a proud participant of International Council of Museum’s (ICOM) International Museum Day 2017 which is celebrated every year on May 18th. The museum’s first ever participation is a weeklong passenger engagement activity at the Terminal from May 15th to 19th, 2017.
Jaya He will draw inspiration from this year’s theme of “Museums and Contested Histories: Saying the unspeakable in Museums“.
Museum Day is celebrated to raise awareness of the fact that, “Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among people.”
If a passenger is visiting through Terminal 2 during this week, one can-
#ExperienceArtbeforeFlight- Specially curated and personalised museum tours of the Jaya He GVK New Museum called the Jaya He Safari.
#KnowtheCulture- Elevate the way you interpret a culture by tasting their food!
#HearitfromThem- Hear the untold stories from the Architect themselves.
#MusicalNotes- Traditional and Folk Music from the West of India.
#SeeanArtinMaking- Live Painting by young artists.
#SendaPostcard- Share your Experience at Jaya He with your loved ones.
#ClicklikeaPro- Take part in a photography contest through your Travel at T2.
From Monday onwards, T2 will no longer be open only those taking a flight. In the spirit of encouraging art and International Museum Day, GVK will have artists curated by IndieFolio creating art at Domestic Level 3, between 3-6pm. Their inspiration will be the art in the museum itself.
The list of artists for the week ahead are as follows:
1.) Monday – Raisa D’Souza
2.) Tuesday – Saumya Shukla
3.) Wednesday – Shubham Kesur
4.) Thursday – Kanak Nanda
5.) Friday – Anant Nanvare
If you’re travelling through Terminal 2, during 15th to 19th May, you would experience a different vibe at Terminal 2. Don’t forget book your free Jaya He Safari on- http://csia.in/atcsia/Jaya-He-Safari.aspx or simply call on +91 82919 41317 for a quick meet up with the Jaya He Captains at T2, and gear up to be transported to a wonderful journey of Indian Art and Crafts through centuries.
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All images for this article except the top image were sourced from Jaya He- GVK New Museum, CSIA Terminal 2, Mumbai by Sarah Kaushik