Basilica Of Our Lady Of The Mount

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, commonly called the Mount Mary Church by the locals, is a Roman Catholic Church situated atop a hillock 262 feet above sea level and is one of the finest specimens of its kind. Located in the suburbs of the vibrant city of Mumbai, the church enjoys a stunning view of the joyfully bustling Arabian Sea as it beautifully reflects different shades of blue.

Standing tall for centuries, the Mount Mary Church is visited by people of all faiths to attain some peace and tranquillity. The road that leads to the church is flanked by small shops that sell flowers, candles, and other offerings of worship. However, the most unusual offerings are the wax figurines that are sold outside the church. The basilica is a truly grand, yet humble edifice made from nothing but stone.

History

The history of Mount Mary Church dates back to the sixteenth century when a Jesuit Priest wanted to construct an oratory devoted to the Virgin Mary. This was done around 1570 when the very first structure of the oratory was built out of the mud on a hillock in Bandra, that overlooked the Arabian Sea.

The oratory was placed under the authority of the then Parish of Santa Ana under Father Joao Diaz SJ., who was then the priest-in-charge of Bandra. The statue of Mother God which was placed on the altar of the oratory was made of wood and was shipped in from Portugal by the Jesuit Priests.

The chapel was rebuilt twice, once in 1640, when the original oratory was transformed into a chapel, and a second time in 1761 after it was raided by Marathas. The enhancement of the oratory into the chapel in 1640 was due to the increase in the number of devotees as well as due to the placement of the Portuguese garrison in the Bandra Fort at Lands’ End.

Around the 1700s, the chapel was ransacked by a group of Muscat Arab pirates to rob it for any hidden treasure. Since there was a gilt-lined object in the hand of the statue, they cut off the right hand of the statue and destroyed the chapel. However, their effort to burn down the chapel out of frustration turned futile when they were attacked by a huge swarm of bees and had to flee.

The broken statue of the Our Lady of Mount was put away in the lumber room of the chapel and was replaced by the statue of Our Lady of Navigators brought in from the side altar of St. Andrew’s church nearby. There is a separate legend associated with the statue of Our Lady of Navigators and its discovery.

Legend has it that a Koli fisherman once dreamt about the statue of Mother in the sea bed and the statue was found floating in the sea in reality. It is recorded in the book named St. Andrew’s Church, Bandra (1616- 1966) which supports the legend. This information was taken from a Jesuit annual letter written around 1669.

After the church was rebuilt in 1761, the old broken statue of Our Lady of the Mount was brought back to the altar after fixing it. A small detachable statue of Baby Jesus was molded in at the place where the statue’s hand was cut off. At present, it is the same statue that’s worshipped at the basilica.

Architecture

The construction of the present semi-gothic structure of the basilica was started in May 1902. The façade of the impressive four-storey structure is around 65 feet broad with deep-rock-rooted foundations that are very strong thereby, being supported by strong buttresses.

The intricacies of gothic architecture are simply stunning with impressive craftsmanship. The front towers with pyramidal spires are 98 feet high with foundations totaling around 18 feet including the length and breadth. Each spire is mounted with a cross and this talks much about the magnificent architecture.

The main entrance of the basilica has a huge door with windows on either side and a gothic stone arch crowning the wooden door to protect it from the rain during the monsoon. There is an arch above the main portal that also has an emblem of the basilica with A. M inscribed on it. A. M is the initial letter of the Latin greeting, Ave Maria, which is also a prayer to the Virgin Mary.

The walls of the basilica are covered in beautiful fiberglass murals that depict stories from the life of Mary. Whereas the central nave is made out of stone with dimensions measuring 67 feet in length and 38 feet broad, the 42 feet high ceiling is made of teak wood which is protected by a roof that is made of Mangalore tiles.

There are a four feet high marble pulpit towards the high altar with different liturgical symbols engraved on the outer side of the pulpit along with two tablets that have the 10 commandments carved on them.

The sanctum sanctorum is a white marble seven-step high altar, above which, stands the statue of the Virgin Mary holding Baby Jesus. There is a marble plaque with a carving representing ‘The last Supper’ embedded at the lower level of the high altar.