Mount Mary Basilica, Bandra

Mount Mary Basilica, Bandra tickets: which one to buy

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, better known as Mount Mary Church, stands on a hillock about eighty metres above the Arabian Sea in Bandra, a seaside suburb of Mumbai, India, and entry is free. It is one of the most popular Catholic shrines in India, visited not only by Christians but also by Hindus, Muslims and people of other faiths, who come to pray to the Virgin Mary and ask for favours. The church is reached by road up Mount Mary Road, or on foot by steps from the seafront, and it is about fifteen minutes by taxi or auto-rickshaw from Bandra railway station.

Visitors often combine the basilica with a walk along Bandstand Promenade, the ruins of Bandra Fort, the Castella de Aguada, with views of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, the street art and cafés of the old Bandra villages such as Ranwar and Pali Hill, and the homes of Bollywood stars, which many tourists pass on city tours. The church is active, with masses throughout the day, and visitors should dress modestly and remove shoes where requested. Stalls along the steps sell candles, flowers, rosaries and wax offerings. The terrace in front of the church offers views over the sea.

Visiting Mount Mary Basilica, Bandra: what to see

Jesuit priests brought a statue of the Virgin Mary to Bandra in the sixteenth century, when the area was part of the Portuguese territories on the Indian coast, and they built a chapel on the hill. According to the shrine's history, the statue was damaged by raiders around 1700, and the chapel was destroyed in 1738 during the Maratha invasion of the region. After the church was rebuilt in 1760, a legend tells of a Koli fisherman who dreamt that he would find a statue floating in the sea, and the statue he found was placed in the church, where it is venerated today.

The present church, built in the neo-Gothic style, dates from the beginning of the twentieth century, and it has a facade with twin towers, a large rose window and pointed arches. Inside, the nave is lined with arches and stained glass, and the altar holds the statue of Our Lady of the Mount, holding the Child Jesus. In 1954 the statue received a canonical coronation, and the church was later raised to the status of a basilica. Pilgrims light candles shaped like hands, feet, houses, cars or babies, representing the prayers they make, whether for healing, a home, a job or a child. The walls near the altar display ex-votos and messages of thanks. The grounds include a grotto and a small garden.

Mount Mary Basilica, Bandra opening hours and the best time to go

The basilica is open daily from early morning to evening, and masses are held in several languages. The Bandra Fair, celebrating the Nativity of Mary on 8 September, begins on the following Sunday and lasts a week, when hundreds of thousands of pilgrims climb the hill and the streets fill with stalls, rides and sweets; the church is extremely crowded then. The monsoon, from June to September, brings heavy rain, and the cooler months from November to February are the most comfortable. Christmas and Easter bring special services. Allow about half an hour for the basilica, and walk down to Bandstand afterwards.