Situated on a quiet hillock in suburban Bandra, Mount Mary is
probably Mumbai's best-known church for Christians and
non-christians alike. As the name suggests, it is dedicated to the
Mother of Christ and in September, the festival of the Virgin Mother
culminates in a week long fair, popularly known as Bandra Fair, that
has all the excitement of a small carnival. Stalls sell sticky Goan
sweets and wax idols of the Virgin along with an assortment of
candles shaped like hands, feet and various other parts of the body.
The sick and suffering choose one that corresponds to their ailment
and light it in Church, with the pious hope that Mother Mary will
consider their appeals for help.
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