Anecdotes about the Virgin Mary

The Virgin of the Mount looking out over the sea of Bombay

Bombay (India) (16th century)

In Bandra, a district of the vast city of Mumbai, atop a hill overlooking the Arabian Sea, stands the Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, known to all as Mount Mary. The Christian presence in the area dates back at least to the 16th century, linked to the missionary work of the Portuguese Jesuits, who took charge of the ministry in Bandra around 1570. The current image of the Virgin Mary is of Portuguese origin, and according to historical sources, it was those Jesuits who brought it from Portugal to India in that same century.

Because the sanctuary faces the sea and devotion to it is closely linked to fishermen and sailors, a popular tradition has flourished over the centuries that tells of an image "arriving by sea," found floating among the waves, and even of episodes involving pirates. It's important to be clear: the miraculous arrival by sea belongs to local pious tradition, beautiful but undocumented. What is documented is that the image was brought by Portuguese Jesuits. The maritime tale stems from the strong connection of the place with seafarers, not from a proven historical fact.

The main festival is the Nativity of the Virgin Mary on September 8th, celebrated locally as Marymas or Bandra Fest. This is followed by the week-long and famous Bandra Fair, an ancient and massive fair with stalls, traditional foods, candles, votive offerings, and religious items, which fills the streets around the basilica and is renowned throughout the Konkan region.

The most distinctive feature of the sanctuary is precisely this meeting of cultures. Not only Catholics come, but also Hindus, who call Mary "Mary Mata," and Muslims, who light candles, make promises, and offer votive offerings. Many devotees buy wax figures representing what they implore—a house, a child, a limb, a vehicle—climb the hill, light a candle before the Virgin, and, if they believe their prayer has been answered, return with a votive offering of gratitude. This scene, repeated year after year and described by numerous witnesses, is a verifiable fact, although official lists of specific miracles with names and dates are not found in accessible sources.

Regarding the Rosary, there is no record of a unique practice that distinguishes this sanctuary from other major Marian temples, beyond the general Marian devotion inherent in its Portuguese roots. What remains is the image of a hill by the sea to which, with the same hope, people of different faiths ascend to entrust themselves to the one Mother.