The Healer Our Lady Of Mount Mary Bandra

Glory Of The Mount Mary Church, Bandra

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, more commonly known as Mount Mary Church, is a Roman Catholic Basilica located in Bandra, Mumbai. The feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated here on the first Sunday after 8 September, the birthday of the Virgin Mary. The feast is followed by a week-long celebration known locally as the Bandra Fair and is visited by thousands of people.[1][2]

The Basilica[edit]
The basilica stands on a hillock, about 80 metres above sea level overlooking the Arabian Sea. It draws lakhs of devotees and pilgrims annually. Many of the faithful attest to the miraculous powers of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The shrine attracts people from all faiths who pray to Virgin Mary for expressing their gratitude or requesting favours. The church was destroyed in 1738 during a raid by the Marathas.

During the Bandra Fair, the entire area is decorated with festoons and buntings. Many pitch up stalls selling religious articles, roasted grams, snacks and sweets. Wax figures of the Virgin Mary, along with an assortment of candles shaped like hands, feet and various other parts of the body are sold at kiosks. The sick and the suffering choose a candle or wax figure that corresponds to their ailment and light it in Church, with the pious hope that Mother Mary will consider their appeals for help.


Although the current church edifice is just 100 years old, the history behind the current statue of Our Lady goes back to the 16th century when Jesuit priests from Portugal brought the statue to the current location and constructed 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.{{fact}}

In 1760, the church was rebuilt and the statue was substituted with a statue of Our Lady of Navigators in St. Andrew's church nearby. This statue has an interesting legend. It goes 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 now enjoys the place of honour in the bascilica. Both Hindu and Christian Kolis visit this shrine often giving it a kind of syncretic nature.[3]
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For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul? Jesus Christ

If You Like Shooting Faces Than Go Shoot The Kumbh Mela

Women Emancipation Begs For Attention

The Holy Waters Of The Godavari ,, Kumbh Mela Nasikh

Once Upon A Time At Ramkund ,, Nasikh Kumbh Mela

If you are in a group of friends there is a lot to shoot at Ramkund  below the Press and VVIP enclosure ,,provided you dont get intimidated by the cops ,, who have this habit of treating photographers like swatting flies ,,

I shoot alone , and it is best no constrains no compulsions and being alone has its many advantages ,,you shoot what you have to do , and shoot what you were destined to shoot .

I am in Mumbai but for some reason my soul is lurking between Ramkund and Trimbakeshwar and imagine I shot Kumbh Mela in 2003 and now after 12 years it seems nothing has changed ,,

Even in 2003 I shot the Kumbh alone .. and in 2015 I was as alone as I was in 2003 ..I had a contact in Nasikh but I did not contact him..as I was here for only a few hours ,, but to really shoot Ramkund from one end to the other end you need a lot of time and patience too.

I did not know any Sadhu among the Vaishnav Akharas  at Tapovan ,,,but than the only salvation was everyone I met respected me because of my Sadhu attire ,,,necessity is the mother of invention ,,,