Our Lady of the Mount Mary Revisited

Our Lady of the Mount Mary

Come September and the streets of Bandra reclaimation are clogged with festivities. What festivities you ask ? Every September, the feast of Mount Mary is celebrated on the Sunday following the September 8th which is the birthday of Mary the Mother of Jesus.. This is a week long celebration known as the Bandra Fair.

Here is short blurb from my post on the fair last year.

Most residents of Bandra associate September with the birth anniversary of St Mary and the week long Bandra Fair that follows. All these activities are centered around one of Bandras hillocks, and the crowning glory of this hill, the 101 year old , Our Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount Mary in Bandra, commonly referred to as Mount Mary.

As most would know, Bombay was originally seven islands originally lived on by the Kohlis, it was then initiated by the Portuguese, till it was briefly held by the Marathas before the British took her over till independence. Proof of this brief Iberian tryst is quiet simple to explain, most people in India call the potato - aloo, but in Bombay it is called batata with is incidentally the Portuguese word.

I live in Bandra and drawn by the tales of home made Goan specialities Vindaloo, Xacuto and Sorpotel and not to mention Bibinca, decided to pay the fair a visit. I started at the base of the hill, at Bandra reclamation where the small entwining streets of Bandra Village end. The streets were lined with shops selling everything from strangely shaped candles to clothes to shinny new toys to candy floss and sweets to snacks and food. Hordes of people made their way slowly, in a festive spirit to the top. Kids tagged their parents hands pointing up to the Ferris-wheel and making the appropriately cute gesture, coaxing them into coughing up the money needed for some delirious fun. These are the scenes that make me as trigger happy [with the camera] as a Japanese tourist with a 2 gb flash card.
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As always I decided to visit and take some pictures.

Symbolism 1
[Religion is all about the symbolism]

Our Lady of the Mount Mary

Roadside Gameshow @ The Bandra Fair
[Street side games. The rules are simple pay the guy 10 bucks grab one of the rings, stand a fair distance and throw. If you are lucky you could walkaway with a packet or biscuits, a bar of soap or a colddrink.]

80 Sale
[More stuff for sale]

Tiny little Gods
[Tiny little Gods]

Bubble Boy

More Bubbles.

Symbolism 2
[More Symbolism]

Flowers
[Flowers for Mary]

Wax works
[Painful arthritis? Give a leg. Want a baby? Give a doll. Wish for a safe journey? Give a plane.

These are just some of the candles, believers to the Mount Mary church at Bandra, offer as part of their prayers. Believers say that the offerings can help cure illnesses.

So, on the rows of stalls, just outside the church, are candles in the shape of different body parts like eyes, ears, nose, legs and other shapes like houses, dolls, aeroplanes, money, etc. Each shape has a special significance.]




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14 comments:

Unknown said...

dude,
the 10 bucks ring is a loss na.. biscuits cost 4 bucks, softdrink, soap cost 5 bucks...
And you cant continue after you win, am I right?

livinghigh said...

.... and traffic is a MESS there, i believe!
;-)

Anonymous said...

The silhouette photograph is especially beautiful, as are the rest.

Jo said...

"Religion is all about the symbolism" - Very true.

GuNs said...

Absolutely love the photo of the church silhouette in black and white.

I asked you a question about working as a pro photographer i.e. turning photography into a profession. You didn't answer that.

I'd be grateful if you could spare a minute and answer my question.

Thanks and...

-PeAcE
--WiTh
---GuNs

ironyofdparadox said...

You've turned the most banal things into great subjects! Guess, its all in the details...:)

Laith said...

Lovely frames you've captured all around. Really interesting insight to the streets of mumbai.
Keep up the good work.

Anonymous said...

Great photos especially the black and white photo of the church. I love Bombay though I am from Delhi and the only thing I knew about Bandra is that filmstar Shahrukh khan stays there. This measures up commensurately.

Anonymous said...

I have been to this church when was in Mumbai. What a lovely shots you put here to describe the same atmosphere as it is there. |

Anonymous said...

beautiful images!

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Anil P said...

Each year, the same becomes new, again.

Sleepymaggie said...

ooof! your b/w photography is remarkable! clarity & composure at its finest.:)