Before the Marathas

Until 1737 the Portuguese were the kings of the Western coastal region With lands stretching from the Salsette Island presentday Bhayander to Bandra to Vasai Thane Kalyan Chaul and Revdanda these colonisers were if anything richer than the EnglishThings changed when the Marathas led by Chimaji Appa waged a twoyearlong battle forcing them to abandon occupation of these territories The end of their rule meant that the glorious architecture that came in the form of their grand churches suffered neglect Whats left of that era are both few and far betweenDebasish ChakravertyThe ruined fort of VasaiBassein now Vasai was the centre of administration for the Portuguese It remained their iron throne for nearly two centuries The reason why they decided to build a fort at Vasai was because from a defence and strategic perspective they felt they could control movement from here says Vasai resident and historian Pascal LopesThe fort says Lopes comprises seven ruined churches each built at different points in time and occupied by different missionaries Each of these churches were tasked with the upkeep of the college hospital and granaries inside The fort fell into ruin after the Marathas conquered Bassein in the warSt Andrews Church BandraPreviously known as Santo Andre dos Colles this 403yearold church is the oldest surviving Portuguese structure in Bandra Its older than the Taj Mahal historian Debasish Chakraverty says While a plaque on the front wall of the structure dates the church back to 1575 its likely to have been replaced by the existing oneThe earlier entrance of the church faced the seaIts original entrance was from the sea as the word Colles implies the church was meant for the converted Kolis who lived across at Chimbai beach he says This parish extended all the way to Santa Cruz and the Chapel of Holy Cross was also once part of it St Andrews Church has been modified on different occasions The main altar as mentioned in a special 400th anniversary issue of the church was built in 1906 after the previous one was destroyed by termitesThis was the fate of most Portugueseera churches says Dr Fleur DSouza historian and former HOD of history at St Xaviers College For instance the retables structure placed either on or behind the altar of churches given their antiquity and wooden make were either destroyed after the war between the Marathas and Portuguese or just couldnt survive the wear and tear over timeCross of the Church amp College of Santa Anna BandraNearly 500 years ago the BEST depot outside Bandra West station was a sprawling estate which was home to the Church amp College of Santa Anna Chakraverty says it was the first church to be built in Bandra in the mid1500s Like Vasai Fort and though not as vast it was known to be a selfsufficient Catholic citadel which included a chapel college and monastery It is said that one could see the Church of Satildeo Miguel St Michaels Church in Mahim from Santa Anna When the Marathas won the war the Portuguese in Bandra appealed to the British forces stationed in Mahim for helpThe British were worried that if the Marathas took over Santa Anna they would have direct access to Mahim part of the region given to them as dowry by the Portuguese in the 17th century and which was on the other side of the waterway he says British forces promised assistance but dynamited the complex to prevent it from getting into Maratha hands Consequentially the church and college were lost But a reproduction of the drawing of the complex shows a large cross in the foreground which remained untouched and in 1871 was reerected at St Andrews Church Bandra For centuries it was thought to be a monolithic cross But it is in fact a twopiece stone cross says Chakraverty Both the east and the west face of the cross have Biblical iconography sculpted on it A local legend surrounding the cross is that each time a disaster was about to occur a pink glow would be visible around this crossCross of the Chapel of the Holy Cross Santa CruzA five minutewalk from Santa Cruz West station is the nondescript Chapel Lane which opens into a street lined by tailors running their businesses out of makeshift stalls A bend in the road will lead you to Mother Teresas Missionaries of Charity Home for the Destitute and Dying built in 1962 but originally home to the 17thcentury Chapel of the Holy CrossPicsShadab KhanIt was the last remaining chapel from the Portuguese era in Santa Cruz says Chakraverty But the burgeoning Catholic population in this area meant that the structure could no longer accommodate them DSouza explains this as being one of the reasons why many old churches from that period were torn down This chapel too eventually made way for the Sacred Heart Church located a stones throw away from here But what remains from that time and possibly even older is a Holy Cross which in Portuguese means Santa Cruz giving this suburb its nameAn early photograph of the Chapel of the Holy CrossRestored in 2015 this cross is now encased in a glass box at the home Legend has it that back in the 1600s locals would pray in front of this wooden cross When leaves started sprouting from its stump it was seen as a miraculous phenomenon A chapel was built at the same site to mark the event It fell into disrepair post the Maratha invasion in 1739 and was reopened nearly a century laterCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates