Mount Mary Church is a Roman Catholic basilica located in the Bandra district. The charming church with numerous columns, turrets, and pointed spires is built of coffee-colored stone with light cream trim and looks absolutely magical, especially against the backdrop of a lively Indian street.
Tall shaped window arches with bright stained glass adorn the church both outside and inside, casting colorful reflections on the cozy pews and marble floor. The walls of the church are decorated with panels depicting scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary. Previously, there were frescoes on the same theme here, but over time they deteriorated, and it was decided not to restore them, but to replace them with more durable decor. A distinctive feature of this basilica is the interior balcony surrounding the main hall around the perimeter and resting on colorful Corinthian-style columns.
Mount Mary Church was rebuilt three times: the first chapel on this site was erected by the Jesuits in 1570, and they also brought the altar statue of the Virgin Mary from Portugal. By 1640, the number of parishioners had grown significantly, and the chapel was expanded. In 1700, the chapel was attacked by pirates wreaking havoc in the Bandra district. Finding no valuables in the little church, the vandals chopped off the arm of the statue of the Virgin Mary.
The damaged statue was temporarily replaced with another one borrowed from St. Andrew's Church, and the Virgin Mary was repaired in an original way - a statue of the infant Jesus was attached in place of the lost arm. Mary remains in this form to this day, but her sanctuary was completely rebuilt and significantly expanded once again, in 1904, giving it its current refined appearance.
