Our Mother Mary came to be - Mount Mary of Bandra

The pencil-thin wax candles burn endlessly day and night as fresh sprays of bright-coloured flowers almost cover the beatific face of mother Mary in white, holding a baby in her arms, this is the common sight at the Mount Mary Church, Bandra. Although we seek her divine grace and pursue her blessings to attain salvation, do we really know what the history of her presence is in her mist is? What is the story behind the miracle which has attracted millions of believers whose numbers continues to grow to date? The majority of answer is all probability is NO! This is exactly what this article deals with. Do give you a determination understanding of our mother of salvation and grace.

Mount Mary Church, also known as, Mount Mary Basilica, Mauli[mother] Mary or the Mount, has been visited by people of all faiths since 1640, when the Portuguese built the Nossa Senhora de Monte chapel on the site. The chapel crowned the hill till 1738, when it was razed by fire in a Maratha raid. According to a local legend, six months later the famous life-sized statue of the Virgin crafted in ornamented wood was recovered from the sea by a fisherman. The image was kept in the Aguada fort and later in the St Andrew’s church nearby, until the Mount was rebuilt in 1761 with funds from parishioners.

The statue was restored to its former position above a lavish gilded altar, which can still be seen today. Later, a long flight of stone steps was built on the eastern side of the church, leading to the main local market. The church has attracted pilgrims from all faiths over the years, though it’s not known when it gained its ‘miraculous’ reputation. have always celebrate the Mount Mary It is therefore not surprising that millions of devotees of various religious beliefs and from different walks of life throng the church throughout the year to seek her blessings.

It is also said that the church got its reputation for answering prayers when the wish of a Parsi couple for a child was granted. The couple, Sir Jamshetjee Jeejeebhoy and Lady Jamshetjee, built a causeway between Mahim and Bandra, which was then separated by the sea, when their daughter was born. People now light creatively designed candles in the shape of limbs and other body parts denoting the specific area of ailment in front of the statue of Mother Mary, in the hope of being cured.