Bandra Fair 2025: Celebrations At Basilica Of Our Lady Of The Mount Kick Off On September 14

Mumbai: The annual Bandra fair, centred around the Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, will start on Sunday. On September 8, the church celebrated the feast day or birthday of Mother Mary. As per tradition, the eight-day fair starts on the Sunday after the feast.

This year, religious services will take place in the backdrop of the basilica's resplendent facade, restored after extensive repairs. In his message to devotees, Father Vernon Aguiar, rector of the shrine, said layers of paint have been stripped away to reveal magnificent, teak columns, cast-iron railings, and stonework, now polished and restored. Historic marble panels, discovered on-site and once part of the sanctuary, will soon grace the altar base, forging a profound link to the sacred past, said Aguiar.

Appealing for help in the restoration process, Aguiar added, "Yet, this vital restoration has significantly depleted our reserves. From our hearts, we appeal to your generosity to help us recover these costs and preserve this legacy for generations."

The spiritual experience is the primary intention of the huge gathering, but the gastronomic aspect of the fair is part of the experience for pilgrims. The fair is an adjunct to the religious event and has evolved from a few stalls selling food to famished pilgrims to the big festival it is now. Jovan Coelho, who will put up a stall at the Mount Carmel Church Fair, which is held at the same time, said, "For visitors wanting a taste of Goan and the local East Indian Catholic cuisine, the fair is a rare opportunity," said Coelho.

Apart from sorpotel with pork, liver, or chicken, there is vindaloo, potato chops, meat patties, pork roast, and fugias or spongy fried bread to soak up the sorpotel and vindaloo gravy. To wrap up meals, there are traditional sweets like guava jelly, dodol, and Kerala halwa. Roasted black chickpea is another specialty of the fair.

The most popular dish at the fair is the pav or Goan bread encased around a chorizo, a pork sausage with origins in Portugal and Spain. Thelma Pujari, a resident of Chimbai village, Bandra, procures sausages from a Goan village to sell at her stall. Pujari, who had been selling food at the fair for the last eight years, did not get a stall in the draw organised by the church. "I am feeling very hurt because I will not get to serve the devotees. They leave their homes in the morning to reach the church. When they are hungry, they come to my stall," said Pujari, who is hoping to set up shop at one of the BMC stalls.

The music and joy rides are another attraction. David Vaz, a media consultant who spent his childhood in Bandra, remembers the photo booths with props and the acrobats that have disappeared. "We volunteered at a thrift shop selling donated clothing, proceeds from which went to charity. Generation Z has taken over," said Vaz.

This year, the skyrocketing rents for the stalls has astonished Bandraites. A candle stall at the main gate of the church was apparently auctioned for a rent of over Rs one lakh. "The church's decision to allot stalls through a lottery has affected old residents who set up stalls at the fair. I am afraid the fair's charm is being lost," said Rupes Gomes, whose family did not get a stall in the auction.

Celebrity stylist gives free haircuts on two days of the fair

During most of the year, Thompsun Fernandes, who has a hair and make-up salon on Chapel Road, helps celebrities maintain their posh mane. On the first and last day of the Bandra fair, he offers free haircuts to visitors.

The service, he said, is his way of thanking Mother Mary for helping him do well in his business. "We pray to Mother Mary and ask her for different things. A lot of people cannot afford a visit to the salon. This is my way of giving back for favours received," said Fernandes who has patrons such as Sunil Shetty, Ajay Devgan, Jimmy Shergill,

Last year, he gave 60 free haircuts. The year before, 120 people received the service. There is usually a queue that forms outside his salon on Chapel Road. He puts up a temporary shed outside the service so that people know about the free hairstyling tips.

Other attractions

Cafeteria run by the nuns at Mount Mary Convent School.

Rosary chorizo sausages, so called because they are strung like beads.

September Garden in the Mount Carmel Church compound is a venue for free musical and entertainment programmes, shoots, reels, and dancing.

East Indian Bazaar on Saturday, one day before the main fair.

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