Mount Mary Bandra Fair 2013: Events, Info, Pictures, Location

Bandra Fair (Mount Mary Fair) is an 8 day festive event to celebrate the birth of Virgin Mary. It is believed that Mother Mary was born on September 8. Every year Mount Mary Basilica at Bandra celebrates the feast to “Our Lady of the Mount”. Bandra Fair has a carnival-like atmosphere with shopping stalls, food stalls, street events, games, amusement rides, concerts, etc. Mount Mary Bandra Fair takes place within the Mount Mary Church complex and in the lanes around the church.

Start and End Date of Mount Mary Bandra Fair 2013

• Bandra Fair Start Date:  8^th September, 2013 (Sunday)
• Bandra Fair End Date:   15^th September, 2013 (Sunday)

The 9 days before the Bandra Fair, from 30 August to 7 September, Mount Mary Basilica performs “Novena” (prayer) for the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Visit these links for further information on why Mount Mary Bandra Fair is celebrated and about the Mount Mary Basilica.

Events, Mass Timing, Stalls at Bandra Mount Mary Fair 2013

• 9 Day Novena before start of Bandra Fair: 5 morning mass for Virgin Mary (5:30 am, 6:15 am, 7:00 am, 7:45 am and 8:30 am) and 3 evening mass (5:30 pm, 6:30 pm, 7:30 pm).
• 8^th September, 2013, Birthday of Blessed Virgin Mary: Birthday mass in English for Virgin Mary at 5:30 am, 6:15 am, 7:00 am, 7:45 am, 8:30 am, 9:15 am, 10:00 am, 10:45 am, 11:30 am, 12:30 am. Pilgrims and worshippers can visit Mount Mary Church from 5:30 am to 11:00 pm for offer prayers (“darshan”) to Virgin Mary.
• 9^th September to 14^th September, 2013: Daily religious mass in English at 5:30 am, 6:15 am, 7:00 am, 7:45 am, 8:30 am, 9:15 am, 10:00 am, 10:45 am. Mount Mary Basilica will be open from 5:30 am to 11:30 pm for pilgrims to offer “darshan” (prayers) to Mother Mary during the Bandra Fair. The 10:45 am Mass on 9^th September, 2013 will be a special mass for the sick and invalid. From 10^th to 14^th September there will be special mass at 11:30 am in an Indian language (10 Sep Konkani, 11 Sep Marathi, 12 Sep Tamil, 13 Sep Malayalam and 14 Sep Gujarati).
• 15^th September, 2013, Last Day of Mt Mary Fair: Mass in English at 5:30 am, 6:15 am, 7:00 am, 7:45 am, 8:30 am, 9:15 am, 10:00 am, 10:45 am, 11:30 am and 12:30 am. Mount Mary Church will close at 8:00 pm.

For the duration of Bandra Fair, stalls selling food, toys, clothes, handicraft items, religious goods, etc, are put at Mount Carmel Church, St John Baptist Road, Chapel Road, Rebello Road and Eastern steps of Mount Mary Church. Stalls are also put up in the premises of Mt Mary Basilica, but these sell mainly religious goods (candles, etc).

Mt Mary Bandra Fair Information: Location, Map, Transport

The focal point of the Bandra Fair is the Mount Mary Basilica on Mt Mary Road at Bandra (West), Mumbai. Mt Mary Church is near Bandra Bandstand, Hill Road, Chapel Road, Mt Carmel Road, St John Baptist Road and St Andrew’s Church.

Closest local suburban railway station to Mt Mary Church is Bandra Station on the Western and Harbor Line.

Local Bus (BEST) to Bandra Fair and Mount Mary Basilica

1. BEST Bus 214: Bus is available from Bandra Station to bus stop at St John Baptist Road. It’s a 0.5 Km walk to the Basilica.
2. BEST Bus 211: Bus is available from Bandra Station to Bandra Bandstand (Byramji Jeejeebhoy Road). Exit at the bus stop near Shahrukh Khan’s Bungalow, “Mannat”. This is the second last stop on this route. It’s a short 0.25 Km uphill climb along either Kane Road or Cement Road (touches Shah Rukh Khan’s House).
3. BEST Buses 86, 211, 212, 214: All these public buses stop at Hill Road which is about 1 Km from Mt Mary Church.

For the duration of Bandra Fair, the below roads are “NO ENTRY” areas; so using private transport to get to Mount Mary is not advisable. Expect traffic jam in a radius of 1.5 Km from the Church.

• Mount Mary Road
• Chapel Road
• Saint John The Baptist Road
• Kane Road,
• Robello Road

This link has sensible precautions for visitors to Mt Mary Bandra Fair.

Attractions around Mount Mary Church

1. Bandra Bandstand: There is a beautiful sea facing promenade at Bandra Bandstand (Byramji Jeejeebhoy Road). Many film stars have houses in Bandra. Salman Khan’s House at Galaxy Apartments is at the start of Bandra Bandstand and Shah Rukh Khan’s House is towards the end of the road.
2. Bandra Fort at Land’s End: Bandra Bandstand road ends at Bandra Fort. This place has stunning views of the Arabian Sea and Bandra – Worli Sea Link.
3. By-lanes of Bandra West: The quaint Bandra by-lanes have an old world charm. Stalls are put up in many of these lanes.