Mount Mary Church, Bandra

Mount Mary Church, Bandra
Mount Mary Church
Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount


19°2′48″N 72°49′21″E / 19.04667°N 72.8225°E / 19.04667; 72.8225Coordinates: 19°2′48″N 72°49′21″E / 19.04667°N 72.8225°E / 19.04667; 72.8225
Location Bandra, Mumbai
Country India
Denomination Roman Catholic
History
Dedication St. Mary
Architecture
Status Minor Basilica
Functional status Active
Completed Rebuilt 1760
Specifications
Number of spires 2
Clergy
Archbishop Oswald Cardinal Gracias

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, more commonly known as Mount Mary Church, is a Roman Catholic church located in Bandra, Mumbai. The church is one of the most visited churches in the city[citation needed]. Every September, the feast of St. Mary is celebrated on the first Sunday after 8 September, the birthday of the Virgin Mary. This is a week long celebration known as the Bandra Fair and is visited by thousands of people.[1][2]

Contents

The Church

The church stands on a hillock, about 80 metres above sea level overlooking the Arabian Sea. It draws lakhs of devotees and pilgrims annually. Many of the faithful attest to the miraculous powers of St. Mary. The shrine attracts people from all faiths who pray to Virgin Mary for expressing their gratitude or requesting favours.

During the Bandra Fair, the entire area is decorated with festoons and buntings. Many pitch up stalls selling religious articles, roasted grams, snacks and sweets. Wax figures of the Virgin Mary, along with an assortment of candles shaped like hands, feet and various other parts of the body are sold at kiosks. The sick and the suffering choose a candle or wax figure that corresponds to their ailment and light it in Church, with the pious hope that Mother Mary will consider their appeals for help.

The statue of the Virgin Mary

Statue of Mother Mary at Mount Mary Church, Bandra.

Although the current church edifice is just 100 years old, the history behind the current statue of Our Lady goes back to the 16th century when Jesuit priests from Portugal brought the statue to the current location and constructed a chapel. In 1700 Arab pirates interested in the gilt-lined object held in the hand disfigured the statue by cutting off the right hand.

In 1760, the church was rebuilt and the statue was substituted with a statue of Our Lady of Navigators in St. Andrew's church nearby. This statue has an interesting legend. It goes that a Koli fisherman dreamt that he would find a statue in the sea. The statue was found floating in the sea between 1700 and 1760. A Jesuit Annual Letter dated to 1669 and published in the book St. Andrew's Church, Bandra (1616–1966) supports this claim. The Koli Fishermen call the statue as Mot Mauli, literally meaning The Pearl Mother (Mot= Moti= pearl and Mauli= Mother). Both Hindu and Christian Kolis visit this shrine often giving it a kind of syncretic nature[3].


Mountmary.jpg

References

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Bandra —   neighbourhood   …   Wikipedia

  • Bandra Fair — is a week long fair held annually in the Bandra suburb of Mumbai, India starting on the following Sunday after September 8. It is celebrated to commemorate the Nativity of Mary, mother of Jesus, on September 8.The Bandra Fair is estimated to be… …   Wikipedia

  • Liste der Basiliken der Römisch-katholischen Kirche — Das ist eine Liste der Basiliken der Römisch katholischen Kirche. Eine Basilika ist eine Kirche mit bestimmten Privilegien, die ihr der Papst eingeräumt hat. Nicht alle Kirchen mit der Bezeichnung Basilika in ihrem Titel haben diesen… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Our Lady of Mount Carmel — For other uses, see Our Lady of Mount Carmel (disambiguation). Our Lady of Carmel by Pietro Novelli, 1641. Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order. The first… …   Wikipedia

  • Hill Road — is a road in Bandra, Mumbai, India which starts from the intersection between Bandra station road and SV Road. This leads to Mount Mary Church, Bandra, Bandstand and Bandra fort.Hill road has one of the most famous schools in Bombay situated on… …   Wikipedia

  • Patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary — A list of Patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary by occupations and activities, dioceses and other places:Occupations and activitiesThe Blessed Virgin Mary may be taken as a patroness of any good activity; indeed, she is cited as the patroness of… …   Wikipedia

  • Karanvir Bohra — Karanvir at the navy ball 2011 Born 28 August 1982 (1982 08 28) (age 29) Jodhpur, Rajasthan …   Wikipedia

  • Bandstand Promenade — The Bandstand Promenade is a kilometer long walkway along the sea on the west side of Bandra, a suburb of Mumbai, India. Less than a decade old, it is simultaneously a popular hang out spot, a jogging track and a park.The promenade starts from St …   Wikipedia

  • Manickpur —   village   …   Wikipedia

  • Mumbai Suburban District — मुंबई उपनगर जिल्हा Location of Mumbai Suburban district in Maharashtra State …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”