Bandra Fair

I visited the Bandra fair yesterday.

The feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is observed on 8 September, according to the Catholic calendar all over the world. Its known as the "Proper Day" in Bandra, Bombay. The Bandra Fair or Bandra Feast or The Feast of our Lady of the Mount starts on the Sunday following 8 September and continues till the next Sunday. This ending Sunday is known as the Octave Sunday.

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount more commonly known as Mount Mary is a Roman Catholic church in the city of Mumbai, India. The church is one of the most visited churches in the city located in the suburb of Bandra.

People of all religons come here during this "fair". Infact youd observe that most are non-catholics. You first get to the steps that lead you up to a road which leads to the church. All along the way are shops selling candles and other things. People urge you all the time to buy candles - in all shapes and sizes. The most selling ones are the plain straight ones, at approx. a buck a candle. You are supposed to buy 10 at least. (Probably a good place to stock up on candles for your home, with the kind of company we have in the city that provides electricity).

You reach the church and have to queue up (like you do for anything in Bombay). [I went up the other way - since we had some jack with some guy who is a volunteer at the fair. Infact lots of people have jack too - then the jack guys will also have to queue up. Maybe that happens on the last day - Octave Sunday, when there is terrible rush].

You get in and make your offering. Your wish is supposed to be represented by the shape of the candle you offer. Like if you want a car - buy a car shaped candle etc. (I dont know how the representation changes if you for example want to buy a car or want your car to get repaired or something). Else take the easy route and offer wads of notes. Anything. But keep walking along, and dont spend too much time at the altar. Hundreds are behind you in the queue. Inspite of the moderate rush , people seem to be pretty disciplined.

The church is pretty good. You can see many people praying and all - for their wishes to come true. Makes you want to do the same. Maybe some method to all of this.

You come out of the other end and this leads to the "fair". You know you are in the fair as the chunnu-munnus are blowing away the trumpets and all. Anyway you can buy all the "fair" kinds of things - sweets, toys, bubble-maker, chips, keychains, chana etc. Sweating crowds all around you jostling for space. A giant wheel for the hyper active kids is installed in a narrow alley some way down the lane.

Such an important crowd pulling activity - how can our BEST service be left out. They run these special buses from Bandra Bus Depot. , Bandra(W) upto the steps. You can see huge crowds waiting in line (obviously) to board these buses. BEST has placed several banners welcoming visitors to the "Mount Mary Jatra" - and the blue topis are busy guiding the thousands to the queues. All this is good - but think a bit. From where did all these special buses turn up. Obviously by yanking them out from their regular routes. No wonder the bus that I usually take has every third bus cancelled, for they have been sent for "Jatra Duties". Regular's end up standing all the way home. Some guys have all the luck ....

Old time residents from the area narrate stories of how the fair used to be when they were kids and how things have changed. Earlier only the Bandra catholics turned up, and now they are out-numbered by people from the rest of India and abroad. And they also tell us how peaceful and uncrowded it was ealrier and now theres no place to stand also.

On a note of religious integration I must add that just outside the Mt. Mary Basilica (Mount Mary Deoold) was a Sarjvajanik Ganesh pandal. An apt name for the Ganesh idol there would have been "Mount Marycha Raja".