Two stone lions flank the entrance of an ornate bungalow called Lion's Den in Matharpacady. About 160 years old, it is a popular landmark at the entrance of the erstwhile East Indian village in Mazagaon. But, it's an old alphonso tree that Hansel Baptista is keen to show us. "It's one of the few mango trees left in this area, which bears fruit twice a year," he says, about the celebrated Mazagaon mangoes that also find a mention in Thomas Moore's epic poem, Lalla Rookh (1817). "In the late 1800s, Mazagaon comprised several orchards. People living in this area owned the lands and earned money off them. They were called mathars and that's how the village got its name," says the consultant chef and resident of Matharpacady for the past 36 years. This weekend, he will conduct a walk to share stories about the quaint village as it readies to celebrate Christmas.

Matharpacady in Mazagaon gets ready for Christmas. Pics/Ashish Raje