“The wells are either dirty or locked here”, rues Kurla resident Abigail D’souza, who is one of the many Mumbaikars who is celebrating St John’s feast in the city. The feast of St John the Baptist is widely celebrated on June 24 among the Catholic community in the city. Taking a dip or diving into the wells is one of the distinct ways of celebrating the feast, which is popularly known as Sao Joao. Interestingly, the act of jumping into the well is not limited to a cultural norm but is rather based on a biblical reference. 

Fr. Daniel Fernandes, priest at Mount Carmel Church in Bandra, says the feast is only one of three births celebrated in the Bible. The first is of Jesus, the second of Mother Mary and the third of St John the Baptist, who is Jesus’ cousin. He explains, “The festivities are a huge tradition not only in Mumbai but also around the world and is celebrated in different ways including parades, wearing colourful wreaths, and taking a dip in the well. Biblically, the act of jumping in the well represents the time when Mother Mary visited her cousin St. Elizabeth, who was pregnant with St John. During their meeting, he leapt with joy in the womb. St John is a very strong character, who uses baptism by water as his ministry and believes in repentance through the forgiveness of sins.”