BASILICA OF OUR LADY OF THE MOUNT
Attracting devotees of all faiths, especially during the Bandra Fair, Mount St Mary Basilica, officially known as Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, is arguably the most important of Mumbai’s Roman Catholic churches built during the time of the Portuguese. Outside the church is a market selling wax models of various body parts. Devotees with ailing limbs buy these to place on the altar of the Virigin Mary in the belief that she will effect a miraculous cure.
NEED TO KNOW
Bandra West • 022 2642 3152 • www.mountmarybasilicabandra.in • Open daily, see website for mass timings
- Stalls around the basilica offer water and snacks to visitors at budget prices.
- Visitors can unwind at the Taj Mahal Tea House.
- Also visit St Francis of Assisi Church nearby.
1. Nave
Characterized by four side entrances (as well as a main one), the stone nave has a 13-m-(42-ft-) high teak wood ceiling supported by a three-sided wooden loft. Four columns, with fluted shafts and Corinthian capitals, hold the loft up.
Ornate nave of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount
2. Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
A feast and novena in honour of the Virgin Mary is celebrated as per tradition on 8 September every year. The festivities bring both Catholics as well as devotees from other faiths to the church doors in large numbers.
3. Sanctuary Arch
Above the stone arch separating the nave and the sanctuary, a mural depicts Mary as the queen of heaven and of all saints. Wooden letters painted in gold spell out her prophetic words – “all generations shall call me blessed”.
4. Statue of Mary
The Muscat Arabs, who invaded Bandra in 1700, cut off the right hand of the Virgin Mary statue in search of gold. In 1761, a detachable Holy Child sculpture was added to complete the broken arm.
The Virgin Mary
5. Façade
With Malad stone columns and strong buttresses, the façade of this Gothic structure is a remarkable sight. The main arch has an emblem with the initials of the greeting, Ave Maria, along with a crown and lilies to symbolize her purity.
Gothic entrance to the basilica
6. Our Lady of Navigators
For a short period, when the original statue was in storage, the beautiful Our Lady of Navigators from St Andrew’s Church took its place. Legend has it that the statue was found at sea by Koli fishermen and was known as Mot-Mauli, or Pearl Mother.
7. Murals
Beautifully detailed murals depicting the life of Mary adorn the main hall of the basilica. These were painted on fiberglass to replace the originals that had faded with the passage of time.
Murals along the main hall
8. Premjyoti
Volunteers, along with the bishop, spread knowledge of the New Testament and offer prayers to devotees of all faiths every Sunday afternoon. The Prayer Hall is known to be especially busy during the Bandra Fair.
9. Towers
The towers are crowned with crosses on the exterior. Stone pillars with Corinthian capitals stand at each corner. Inside, stairs lead to Porbunder-stone steeples and two large inscribed bells hang in both towers.
10. Blood of St Pope John Paul II
The Vatican’s commissary to India, presented the church with a sealed relic that contained a single drop of blood belonging to St Pope John Paul II, 27 years after his visit to Mount Mary in 1988.
THE BANDRA FAIR
The Koli community’s legend of the Our Lady of Navigators statue has been attracting devotees of all faiths for 300 years. The Bandra Fair, held between the first Sunday after 8 September and the next Sunday, came into existence when pilgrims started using the eastern steps to descend the hill all the way till the Mount Carmel Church. Stalls offer food and sweets from Maharashtra as well as all over India, such as guava cheese and mawa peda (cookie made from evaporated milk).
