Easter at Colaba causeway

Here areu00a0four good reasons why even non-Catholics should be sent off on a Colaba cross country trail this Easter Sunday

To think that the Colaba Island, according to old records, was once "of no other profit but to keep the Company's antelopes and other beasts of delight", takes terrific imagination as you zip past its kitschy sidewalks and edgy nightlife district.
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By 1796, the island became a cantonment and civilians weren't allowed to live here. Soon its southernmost tip (Old Woman's Island) was merged with Colaba by a causeway (today's Colaba Causeway).

By the 1800s, churches emerged to cater to the influx of Army and Navy personnel and a floating trading community, thanks to the city's growth as a trading hub.

To Relive The Way Brit Officers Prayed

St Joseph's Church, near Colaba Bus Depot, Navy Nagar, Colaba.
Call: 22150661

Set up in 1853, this was the first church for British military (Roman Catholics) in the cantonment, informs Father Andrew Sequeira, parish priest at St Joseph's, popularly known as 'RC Church,' tells us. Unlike most churches in Colaba, its architecture is different.



The original structure is intact, church bell, grotto et al. Inside, there are pews, instead of armchairs, for seating. Look out for two flags belonging to the Bombay Battalion, with the Queen's Colours that date to 1893.
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The striking white altar, fed with sunlight, bathes the church in a stunning glow. Sitting inside, you magically rewind to a time when personnel from the mess would attend service in their fatigues, praying for their motherland and the Queen.

To Listen To City's Only Pipe Organ

Wesleyan Methodist Church, 62, SBS Marg, Colaba.
Call: 22870420

Churchgoers at the 120 year-old Wesleyan Methodist Church are a lucky lot. At every Sunday service, they hear soothing tunes from Mumbai's only operational pipe organ.

This Conacher Organ from Huddersfield, UK, was acquired over 100 years ago and is still used to play one hymn at Sunday mass; the old man can't take a second tune.



"It needs to be handled with utmost care. It was last repaired in 1965 by Reverend Arthur Saunders and choral legend and parishioner Victor Paranjoti (founder of the Paranjoti Choir)," says Rev.

Thomas Jacob, as you marvel at the towering instrument, unseen in churches or live performances. "The Conacher's sound quality cannot be replicated with even the best electronic models."

This church, once a favourite with British military and naval officers is a miniature museum that stands at a busy traffic signal, with plaques, stunning stained glasswork and ornate carvings in its womb.

Easter service: 10 am

To Sing Along Withu00a0A Multi-Cultural Choir

Bombay Baptist Church, 175, SBS Road, opposite Colaba Post Office, Colaba.
Call: 22150654/2218 9036

"Ours is a young, enthusiastic community. The youth take the lead in most activities," says a proud Pastor VJ Joseph of the Bombay Baptist Church (BBC), an active church nestled within a robust, granite structure in the Neoclassical and Saracenic mould.

Established in 1911 by Sir Henry Procter, the original church was set up in Byculla in1867, before it eventually settled in the present structure. Look around and it's impossible to miss the buzz.



"With over 300 parishioners, the congregation is a mix of nationalities Europeans, Africans and Asians. There's plenty of activity, whether the multi-cultural choir, youth groups, or teaching street kids."
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says Denovan Marak choral leader and office bearer. Clearly, there never is a dull moment at the BBC, Sunday or any other day.

Easter service: 10.30 am, 7 pm

To drop by at Mumbai's most Secular Editor's Legacy

Bowen Methodist Church, Lansdowne Road, near Bademiya's, Colaba.
Call: 22020372

American missionary and author George Bowen can easily be termed a native. Fluent in Hindi and Marathi, he respected local sensibilities. Set up in 1889 in his memory, the Bowen Memorial Methodist Church's spire and fau00e7ade is lost in the grimy streetscape outline, off Tullock Road.

One of the earliest Methodist churches, its ornate timber balconies and tiled roofs are a contrast to its grand counterparts nearby.



Reverend Walter Kunder, its pastor talks of their founder: "Bowen edited Bombay Chronicle, one of the most secular publications of the time.

It rubbed off in his social work in the area. Today, we practice Bowen's vision. Counselling and outreach programmes for street kids are crucial with increasing crime rates, drug peddling and anti-social elements," he adds.

Equidistant from the Taj Mahal Hotel and Leopold Cafu00e9, the church played sanctuary to many during the 26/11 attacks.

Sadly, like most 18th century structures in the area, it waits desperately for a lease of life.
Easter service: 10 am

Steeple Ahoy!

The steeple at the Afghan Church (Church of St John the Evangelist) rises up to 60 metres (198 feet) and once served as a landmark for ships entering Mumbai harbour.

From being a humble thatched chapel for Anglican churchgoers, near the parade ground close to INS Asvini this splendid structure was raised in 1865 in memory of Indian and British men who died in the First Anglo-Afghan War of 1838.