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The Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount in Bandra (West), Mumbai, is constructed on a hillock about 80 metres above sea level, overlooking the Arabian Sea to its western side. It draws over ten lakh devotees annually. During the Bandra Fair week, over six lakh people visit the shrine. The shrine attracts people from all faiths and walks of life who pray for thanksgiving or requesting of favours. The Bandra Fair is estimated to be around 450 years old.

Every September, the feast of ‘Our Lady of the Mount’ is celebrated on the Sunday following September 8, the birthday (feast day) of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is the Mother of Jesus Christ. It’s is a weeklong celebration known as the ‘Bandra Fair’ that attracts thousands of people from surrounding areas. It concludes on September 16.

During the Bandra Fair week, the entire area is decorated with festivities. People from far and wide to sell religious items, roasted grams and sweets. It is a huge business for people selling candles and assortment of candles shaped like hands, feet and various other parts of the body. The sick and suffering choose one that corresponds to their ailment and light it in the Basilica at the Mount, with the pious hope that Mother Mary will consider their appeals for help. Some stalls sell all kinds of Goan, Mangalorean sweets too. Some stalls sell Konkani, East-Indian Marathi music CDs and VCDs. East-Indian Marathi music is enjoyed not only by the East-Indian (Marathi Christian) Catholic community of Mumbai, but by other communities like the Goans and Mangaloreans too. Stalls also sell little bottles of soapy water for bubbles, which is very popular with children.

The stalls and attractions are made on Mount Mary steps through John the Baptist Road to Mt. Carmel’s Church grounds which hosts the giant-wheel, the merry-go-round, the well-of-death, sea-on-land and other game stalls. Chapel Road and beyond is full of street hawkers.


The current church edifice is 100 years old, but the history of the statue of Our Lady can be traced back to 16th century when Portugese Jesuit priests brought the statue and built a chapel. In 1700 Arab pirates interested in the gilt-lined object held in the hand disfigured the statue by cutting off the right hand.

The church was rebuilt in 1760 and a substitute statue of Our Lady of Navigators in St. Andrew's church was placed. The statue legend says that a Koli fisherman dreamt that he would find a statue in the sea. The statue was found floating in the sea between 1700 and 1760. A Jesuit Annual Letter dated to 1669 and published in the book St. Andrew's Church, Bandra (1616–1966) supports this claim. The Koli Fishermen call the statue as Mot Mauli, literally meaning The Pearl Mother (Mot= Moti= pearl and Mauli= Mother). However the pervious statue is now restored and is placed in the bascilica.