The Mount Mary Church, officially the Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, is one of Mumbai’s most historically important Catholic shrines. It stands on a hill at Bandra West near Lands End, overlooking the Arabian Sea.
History
1570 – Beginning of the shrine
Jesuit missionaries established a simple mud-and-wood oratory on the hill. A wooden statue of the Virgin Mary was brought from Portugal and placed on the altar. This is considered the first Mount Mary shrine.
1640 – First chapel
As devotion grew, the oratory was enlarged into a chapel. It also served the Portuguese garrison stationed at the nearby Lands End fort.
1700 – Attack by Muscat pirates
The shrine was attacked by pirates from Muscat. According to the Basilica’s historical account, they thought the statue’s right forearm was made of gold and cut it off while searching for treasure.
1738–39 – Destruction and decline
The chapel was destroyed during the political conflicts of the period, and religious activity at the shrine subsequently declined for several years.
1761 – Rebuilt
The chapel was rebuilt and the damaged statue was repaired. The statue of Our Lady of Navigators, which had temporarily been brought from St Andrew’s Church, was returned.
1904 – Present church built
The present Neo-Gothic/Gothic Revival-style church was completed in 1904. Materials were transported partly by sea and then carried up the hill using bullock carts and donkeys.
1954 – Became a Basilica
On 5 December 1954, the church was granted the status of a Minor Basilica by Pope Pius XII. The statue of Our Lady and the Child Jesus was also ceremonially crowned with gold crowns.
What makes the building interesting?
The present church has a Neo-Gothic exterior, with prominent twin towers. Inside, however, the design contains a mixture of influences, including Baroque and Goan ecclesiastical elements.
The church sits on a hill overlooking the Arabian Sea, which is one reason the site became such a prominent landmark of old Bandra.
There are also about 136 steps leading up to the shrine from the eastern side. Halfway up is an old cross traditionally dated to 1678. During the Bandra Fair, these steps become lined with stalls.
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