The main altar of the chapel of Our Lady of the Mount,
Bandra.
“Monstra Te esse Matrem” - - “Show
Thyself a Mother”. That tiny banner
carried by a tiny child contains in the simplest and fewest words possible, The
secret of the true devotion of
Christians and non-Christians alike, To her, who is popularly know as and
invoked the title of Our Lady of the Mount.
The history of this shrine which now
draws thousands of all castes and creeds every year from all over India, goes
back to early Portuguese times when that valiant nation once the Mistress of
the sea planted the Cross on this side of India in the first part of the 16th
century. We read that Bandra passed to the Portuguese with the cession of
Bassein by King Bahadursha of Gujarat, in 1534 – just 400 year ago, when Merry
England under Henry VIII drifted into schism. Inscrutable are the ways of
Providence for the loss of England – The
Dowry Of Our Lady – The Gentiles were to be the portion of the Church. However not until a full generation had passed by did
this portion of the new vineyard receive attention of the Missionaries who by
the way were the Sons of St. Ignatius to whose labours this part of Salsette
seems to have been reserved . According to Tradition, a Hindu Temple had stood
on the Brow of the Hill . This is said to have been pulled down and the place
cleared of its idol for a Christian Shrine . However this may be history records that in 1566 the Fathers built
a 'modest little Oratory of Mud for their private devotion' and dedicated it to
Our Lady of the Nativity
A
Hut of Bamboo and Thatch as a shelter, which served them for 9 years
until the building of St. Andrew's in 1575 as the Parish Church. Such was the
modest beginning of this now famous shrine.
For over 70 years the Oratory remained in its Pristine State. In 1640 by
the command of the Captain of Salsette it was enlarged and made into a Chapel
for the use of the Garrison stationed at the block-house (itself built in this year) at the Bandra Point , And, it was open to the faithful for public devotion.
This then seems to be the beginning of that fame which in years to come was to
reach far and wide.
The Pious Captain could never have
dreamt that the Chapel he caused to be built would be a place where 'the Angels
of God Ascend and Descend' with the prayers of the faithful. He sleeps probably
in a forgotten Grave ; His Progeny may
perhaps be extinct or if living, too
widely spread to lay claim to an illustrious descent.
But the shrine he built, though once
destroyed by the Ruthless hand of the invader, And then re-built and remodelled
to suit the exigency of the times , Still remains, drawing ever more a stream
of grateful people to pay its vows. A
century later the Marathas over-ran Salsette,
Bandra Hill, which probably had never known disturbance or witnessed warfare in
its history , Heard the first time the invaders' war-cry resounding on its
peaceful heights. Bent on destruction , The
soldiers made short work of the shrine.
The Statue of the Mother of God was
flung into the sea and the Chapel set on fire. The devotion that had grown for
a century thus came to an end, And for over 20 years the hill presented a scene of desolation — 4 bare walls looking up to heaven in mute appeal
against the sacrilege committed . No 'Aves' nor 'Salves' rose up to the throne
of the Queen on high from this once sacred spot , Nor was heard the tinkle of
the Mass-Bell .
Until 1761 when the Chapel was
re-built for divine worship and the statue, which had been rescued from the sea
by some Fishermen , And taken to St. Andrew's for safety. was carried in
procession and restored to its original place. As early as 1882 this third
building was found too small to accommodate the increasing number of pilgrims.
year by year, And a glass enclosed portico was added to it for extra
accommodation.
In the beginning of this century the
old building had to give way and on its site stands. the present edifice in
Gothic style, begun in 1902 and completed in 1904. Facing the west it
commands a beautiful view of the Arabian
Sea, while to the fishing folks its twin towers serve as a Mariner's guide.
There is no time at our disposal to describe its peaceful interior which has
brought peace and solace to many a suffering heart. On a lofty altar of marble
stands a life-size statue of Mary with a Mother's Smile , While the Infant in
her arms stretches out both its arms in a welcome to the weary pilgrim . The
favours Our Lady deigns to grant to her clients are so varied and numerous that
the shrine may justly be styled "The Lourdes of India." To form an
idea of the magnitude of the favours received through her intercession .
One has only to watch the stream of Devotees—Christians,
Hindus, Jews. Mussalmans, Parsis—with their thanks offerings; wooden cradles
and waxen babes; heads, hearts, eyes, ears, feet, knees—in short the gifts
include counterparts of the various parts of the body healed; and students of
psychology will be interested to note that it is not an uncommon sight to
behold those unfortunate ones that have suffered from the heartaches of life
bringing votive gifts of silver hearts, as if literally fulfilling the hanging
of their lacerated hearts to the willow tree!
Verily, Our Lady of the Mount is the
glory of Bandra! She has shown herself a Mother to so many in the past. She
continues to show that Motherly regard in the living present, and we have every
assurance that she will not withhold her special protection in the years to
come
Shared This Momentus Video Of Late Mr John Agnel D'souza
This year marked the beginning of
the Feast of Our Lady of the Mount, also known as the Monti Feast or the Bandra
Feast. To this day, the statue is venerated and many miracles, minor and major,
are attributed to the Lady of the Mount. The architect of Mount Mary's Church
was a Bombay architect, Shahpoorjee Chandabhoy.
The basilica was built in 1904 at
a cost of Rupees 1 lakh. The original church was built to serve the garrison
posted at the Castella de Aguada (Fortress of Aguada) at Land's End, Bandra. In
1879, Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy constructed a flight of steps to the Mount Mary's
Church; these are known as the "Degrados de Bomanjee" ('Steps of
Bomanjee').
People of all faiths and
communities visit the church, giving the place a syncretic nature. The Bandra
Fair is held during the eight days of the Octave of the Nativity of Our Lady,
beginning 8 September, when pilgrims throng the church.
Author : Joseph Gomes
