Image Source: Wikimedia Commons Modified and released under Creative Common License CC BY-SA 2.0

Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, or more commonly known as the Mount Mary Church

Geographical Location: It is located in the western suburb of Bandra, in the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Denomination: Roman Catholic

Historical Timeline: The origin of the Church can be traced to the year 1570 when the Jesuit Fathers began taking care of a ministry in Bandra, which had its headquarters at Santa Ana Church (near the old slaughter house). Soon a simple oratory made of mud came up at the Mount near Land’s End, for private worship. The Jesuits brought a wooden statue of Mary, depicted as the Mother of God, from Portugal and placed it on the main altar in the oratory. In 1640 the oratory was enlarged into a chapel. In 1700 it was ransacked by the Arabs in the hope of finding treasure. When they could not find anything, they destroyed the right hand of the statue thinking that ... More

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons Modified and released under Creative Common License CC BY-SA 2.0

Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, or more commonly known as the Mount Mary Church

Geographical Location: It is located in the western suburb of Bandra, in the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Denomination: Roman Catholic

Historical Timeline: The origin of the Church can be traced to the year 1570 when the Jesuit Fathers began taking care of a ministry in Bandra, which had its headquarters at Santa Ana Church (near the old slaughter house). Soon a simple oratory made of mud came up at the Mount near Land’s End, for private worship. The Jesuits brought a wooden statue of Mary, depicted as the Mother of God, from Portugal and placed it on the main altar in the oratory. In 1640 the oratory was enlarged into a chapel. In 1700 it was ransacked by the Arabs in the hope of finding treasure. When they could not find anything, they destroyed the right hand of the statue thinking that perhaps it was made out of gold. The damaged idol was then replaced by one from the side altar of the neighboring St Andrew’s Church. Moreover, due to the change of ownership of Bombay from the Portuguese to the British, there was political instability which in turn led to the decline of pilgrims visiting this place. Also there were no priests to head the chapel for nearly 20 years, between 1741 and 1761, and public worship came to a near halt. In 1761 the chapel was rebuilt, and the damaged statue of Mary was brought back. A detachable statuette of Child Jesus was placed on the broken arm, thus covering the damage. Renovations and additions kept on happening till 1902, when the building of the present structure was taken up. Shapoorjee Chandabhoy, served as the chief architect for the construction of the new edifice. Bullock carts and mules were used to transport the construction material to the top of the mount and in 1904 the church building was completed as we see it today and was thrown open to pilgrims. Since then the Mount Mary Basilica has hosted two popes, Pope Paul VI in 1964 and Pope John Paul II in 1986.

Visiting Hours (service, mass): The Regular Sunday Service takes place from 6.30 to 9.30 a.m.  Darshan is held between 10.30 to 8.30 p.m. From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. there are prayers for those with special needs. On weekdays the mass is held from 6.30 a.m. to 7.15 a.m. Darshan is held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and again from 2 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. There is no evening mass on any of the days. On first Fridays there is a holy hour at 6 p.m. On first Saturdays there is a service known as devotion to Our Lady of Fatima at 6 p.m.

Nearby places: Close to the Mount Mary Church, there is the 'Father Agnel' church situated on Carter Road. The suburb of Bandra also has places such as the bandstand and the famous Jogger's Park which are must-visit places. Linking Road and Hill Road are popular flea markets and offer cheap bargains to avid shoppers. There are a variety of restaurants in Bandra which offer eating options which can suit all pockets.

Accommodation: There are many hotels, lodges and serviced apartments available in and around Bandra. Hotels range from the five star places such as the Taj Land’s End to one star dormitories.

Accessibility Route: The suburb of Bandra is well connected by various means of transport. Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai, is the closest airport, and the Basilica is situated approximately 12 km from the international terminal and about 8 km from the domestic terminal. Pre-paid taxis are available at both airports. Local public transport (auto-rickshaws and taxis) to the shrine are easily available. Two bus routes of the public bus transport can also be used to reach the church. These are route no. 211 from the Bandra Station which turns arounds at Land’s End. Alighting here one has to undertake a fairly steep but a short climb up to the Basilica. Another is the bus route no. 214 from the Bandra station which has its turnaround point near the steps of the Mount via St. John the Baptist Rd, at a bus stop which is called 'Mount Mary Steps'. A climb up these steps allows one access to the Basilica from the eastern side. The closest railway station is at a distance of 2.5 km and is known as the Bandra Station, which caters to both the long distance and the Mumbai suburban railways. From the station a taxi or a bus can be taken to the church.