Although the annual Bandra feast fair to commemorate Mother Mary’s birthday is amiss in its physical avatar for a second year due to the pandemic, residents say that their faith still holds strong
Worshippers congregate to pay their respects at the gates of the church
For the second consecutive year, the annual Feast of Mother Mary is being celebrated virtually in accordance with the curbs on congregations necessitated by the pandemic. And while the festivities are typically centred on Mount Mary Basilica’s novena and the ensuing Octave, the feast has been one of the suburb’s major attractions for visitors of all faiths, from across the city. On the eve of the final day of the festivities, long-time residents reminisce about feasts from the years gone by and share how they’ve been marking the event, albeit in a considerably toned down manner.
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Faith over all
O’Neal D’Abreo, wedding dressmaker
A woman offers prayers at a grotto at the mount
The feast is a tradition that runs in our veins and our faith has held strong over centuries. Our Lady of the Mount has always guided us through every adversity. This year, even though the church is closed to visitors, people are still thronging to the mount to pay their respects. As East Indians, the feast is celebrated with plenty of food in our households.
The bottle masalas, which we prepare around April, have now matured and are used in delicacies like chicken and duck moile. We also make fugia. Some families sell these foods on the mount, and although the numbers are fewer, you can still find stalls there, this year. While I am a bridal dressmaker by trade, I was given the honour of creating Mother Mary’s veil and a vestment for Baby Jesus this year, which we have just finished draping.
A temporary setback
Anjali Pereira, home-maker
My family has been running a stall with traditional Goan food at the mount for the last four decades now. It is an opportunity for us to share our culture and tradition with visitors, and also a means of income. However, business has taken a heavy beating for the last two years, owing to the COVID-19 restrictions.
Goan sweets made and sold by Anjali Pereira. Pics/Anindita Paul
Still, I enjoy the process of making these treats — sausages, guava cheese and coconut thali sweet, among others — at home. It is a tradition more than a business for me, and something I take great pride in.
Community bonds
Wilson Tellis, baker
For many years, the Bandra fair has been an annual tradition that brings the community together, regardless of faith. In fact, even people who sold their houses and left the area make sure to come back for the feast and the locals have always made sure to get involved in some way — from selling candles and flowers to preparing and selling traditional sweets and delicacies that you’d be hard-pressed to come across through the rest of the year, such as guava cheese, bebinca, dodol, and other Goan and East Indian fare. The driving sentiment was more about getting involved in the event than commercial gains, although the fair has been a significant source of income for many local families. In fact, my wife Sabina inherited the moulds that are used for the candles from her great-grandmother. All these candles were made locally and she continued to run a stall until a few years ago, to keep up the tradition.
Over time, things have changed and the stalls that were originally manned by the residents began to be rented out to people from other cities and states, who have a competitive advantage in terms of costs and local ingredients and recipes. The festivities were not contained to the church — residents still put up lights and play lively music to create a celebratory ambience. We had September Garden at Mount Carmel Church, with a Ferris Wheel and other rides as well as dance and jam sessions at Corona Garden. Our days began early, with the morning novena at the church on the mount, and we’d have our evening novenas at the local grotto, which ended with an informal meet-and-greet. We never had to request a non-Catholic to participate; it has always been a way of life for us. There’s an old saying that Bandra and its suburbs will never flood or suffer from any adversity because of the statues that protect us; legend says they were found at sea by the local fishermen. It’s a belief that still resonates with us.
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