On 8th September, the feast of Our Lady of the Mount is celebrated. It is also known as the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The saviour of the world, Jesus would not have come to the world without Mary. Hence, followers throng to the shrine on this day to worship the holy mother. They first celebrate Mass in a tent or a shamiana which is especially put up for this purpose and then they enter the basilica for offering their prayers to Mary. During a period of eight-day, i.e. from the Sunday after the 8th of September to the next Sunday, the official Feast is celebrated over an “Octave”. And the celebration of this eight-day is preceded by a nine-day “novena” or prayers conducted for Virgin Mary. Thus the entire celebration or the Bandra Feast lasts for 17 days. During the Novena masses are held both in the mornings and evenings, but during the octave, the mass is in the mornings, leaving the shrine free for ... More

On 8th September, the feast of Our Lady of the Mount is celebrated. It is also known as the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The saviour of the world, Jesus would not have come to the world without Mary. Hence, followers throng to the shrine on this day to worship the holy mother. They first celebrate Mass in a tent or a shamiana which is especially put up for this purpose and then they enter the basilica for offering their prayers to Mary. During a period of eight-day, i.e. from the Sunday after the 8th of September to the next Sunday, the official Feast is celebrated over an “Octave”. And the celebration of this eight-day is preceded by a nine-day “novena” or prayers conducted for Virgin Mary. Thus the entire celebration or the Bandra Feast lasts for 17 days. During the Novena masses are held both in the mornings and evenings, but during the octave, the mass is in the mornings, leaving the shrine free for “darshan” in the evenings, especially for those belonging to other faiths.

During the eight-day long celebration or 'octave' the Bandra Fair is also held near the church. This fair has been connected with the Shrine from its outset. The fair offers a time for relaxing, companionship, charity and happiness. Pilgrims descend from the Mount in various directions by using the steps on the eastern side once the religious rites have been performed. There are a lot of stalls on the way down which offer opportunities to engage in a variety of relaxing activities to pilgrims. Therefore, an atmosphere of fun is created at the stalls that are put up at the Fair. Various eatables i.e. black grams, sweets, the famous sugar coated 'Kadio Badios', etc. are available in the stalls. There are Ferris wheel rides, different types of games, and fun-filled activities for the people to enjoy and to engage in. Every morning, fancy bullock carts come up to the church and the followers are welcomed with tea and snack which are sold at stands on either side of the approach road.

It is an event where people come from all over the city and enjoy. The stalls that are erected within the boundaries of the shrine come under its arbitration, while those that are beyond fall under the control of the local municipal corporation.

The 'September Garden’ in the Mount Carmel Church compound, marks the tail end of the fair and it becomes a melting pot for activities in the evenings. Youngsters are seen enjoying the thrilling rides, games of skill and attending 'Jam Sessions' till late in the night. Due to an increase in the number of followers, the number of stalls too have greatly increased and this has become a disturbance for the local people. Steps are being taken to find solutions to this problem.