The Bandra Fair is hosted as a part of the celebrations in the Queen of Suburbs every year. Photos Courtesy: File pics
Dates
Every year, Bandra Fair is hosted on the first Sunday after September 8, which is celebrated as the Nativity of Mother Mary, or the birth of Mother Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, and an important entity for the followers of Christianity.
This year, it will be held from September 14 to September 21, and will take place across all days around Mount Mary's Basilica and near Mount Carmel Church
Timings
While the Novenas will be held from September 5 to September 13, the feast will be celebrated on September 14, followed by the commencement of Bandra Fair around the newly-renovated church.
For devotees looking to attend mass while visiting the fair, the vernacular mass timings are as follows, according to the Mount Mary Basilica Bandra website:
Sunday, September 7, Hindi Mass 5.30 pm
Sunday, September 14, Konkani Mass 10.30 am
Tuesday, September 16, Konkani Mass 11.30 am
Wednesday, September 17, Marathi Mass, 11.30 am
Thursday, September 18, Tamil Mass, 11.30 am
Friday, September 19, Malayalam Mass, 11.30 am
Saturday, September 20, Gujarati Mass, 11.30 am
Sunday, September 21, Marathi Mass, 10.30 am
The stalls will be open after the first mass on September 14 from 6 am to 10 pm
Significance
The Bandra Fair is supposed to have started around 300 years ago, according to a popular legend, after statue of Mother Mary was found floating somewhere between 1700 and 1760 in the Arabian Sea by a Koli Christian fisherman, after he already had a dream about it earlier
The locals believed it to be a miracle and that led to the start of the Bandra Fair to celebrate the event every year since then, but in recent years wasn't held in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic
While visiting the church and the fair, visitors are advised to dress modestly keeping religious sentiments in mind
Uniqueness
Apart from the religious aspect of the feast, which sees many people of other faith also visit, the uniqueness of Bandra Fair is that it has many different kinds food stalls put up by locals every year celebrating East Indian cuisine, and even other Koli delicacies, that have become synonymous with the festival over the years
Visitors can enjoy delicious dishes such as choris pao (Goan sausages stuffed in pav), Kerala's Calicut Halwa, kala channa (black gram) and the popular kadio bodios (sweet sticks), and last but not the least petha
Travel
The Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount is located in Bandra West in Mumbai. The easiest way to travel is by public transport, as private transport may often mean that you have park far away, and walk up to Mount Mary Church, and the steps.
However, taking the 214 bus to Mount Mary Steps is ideal or taking an auto-rickshaw from the railway station will provide enough comfort during your journey.
If you are coming from the airport, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) Terminal 1, popularly called as Santacruz Airport, and Terminal 2, also known as Andheri airport, are not too far away, and the church in itself is a landmark. If you plan to travel by train, take the Western line train to Bandra, Dadar or Churchgate to reach your destination
The ideal time to visit the Fair is between 10 am to 6 pm, if you want to avoid the crowd
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