Bandel - The Virgin of the Good Journey
Bandel
The Church of Bandel: the oldest in Bengal
The Church of Our Lady of the Good Journey of Bandel (1599) is the oldest Catholic church in West Bengal. It was built by the Portuguese on the banks of the Ganges River. The image of the Virgin who is to be seen there is a small figure of Our Lady of Conception.
The legend of the image that floated
In 1632, the Mogol governor Qasim Khan destroyed the Portuguese churches of Bengal. The Bandel was burned and the image of the Virgin cast into the Ganges River. According to tradition, the image floated over the waters and was found several kilometres below by a sick Mogol officer, who took her back to Bandel believing that it would bring health. The church was rebuilt and the image returned to its place. The officer turned to Catholicism.
The mast of the sailors
In front of the church is an old boat mast, an offering of Portuguese sailors who promised to donate it if they arrived healthy to the port. The mast is still there, as a testimony to the devotion of the sailors who were surpassing the Ganges and the sea of Bengal.