CHRISTMAS IN MUMBAI

LAST YEAR WE HAD COVERED CHRISTMAS IN KOLKATA. HOWEVER, THE CHRISTMAS IN MUMBAI IS NOTHING SHORT OF GRAND. BEING IN CLOSE VICINITY TO GOA – A MOSTLY CATHOLIC STATE, MUMBAI HAS A HUGE POPULATION OF CATHOLICS WHO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS WITH EXTREME PASSION AND IT IS THAT TIME OF THE YEAR WHEN THEY INDULGE IN MERRY MAKING, FIREWORKS, WINE AND A NICE TABLE SPREAD OF FOOD! LET’S SEE HOW MUMBAI, ONE OF THE MOST COSMOPOLITAN CITIES IN THE COUNTRY, CELEBRATES ITS CHRISTMAS.

- SOURADEEP ROY

Beautiful Bandra

Bandra is a posh locality on the western suburbs of Mumbai. Bandra is densely populated by Christians, who celebrate Christmas with fervour. This locality of the town is adorned in Christmas lights, Christmas trees, and all the fancy decorations that this time of the year brings. People of all religious beliefs attend the Christmas mass in the evening, decked up in beautiful clothes. Otherwise known for its hip bars and night out locations, during Christmas Bandra takes a different look altogether. The old architecture of some of the buildings takes you back to the times when the Portuguese colonials settled there. Just walking around the different Bandra villages will give you chills on Christmas eve. Each and every house is decked up in lights and decorations and some even have signboards selling various items from homemade cakes, wines, kalkals and more. You can also take a look at the various graffities in and around Bandra for that perfect Instagram shot! Coming back to Christmas in Bandra, there are several churches around Bandra which celebrate Christmas. Mount Mary’s Basilica, Bandra is the best place to be for the midnight mass. Thousands of people gather around the church to meet their friends and family to celebrate. Various groups of friends can be seen strumming Christmas tunes on their guitar on the steps of the church. Because of the huge number of people who gather for the masses, you may have to just touch and go when it comes to entering the church, but the courtyard outside is a great place to hangout. Two other churches that you can visit in Bandra are Saint Peter’s Church and Saint Andrew’s Church. Other notable churches around Mumbai include Holy Name Cathedral and Saint John’s Church in Colaba, Saint Thomas’s Cathedral in Fort, Gloria Church in Byculla, Saint Michael’s Church in Mahim and Our Lady of Immaculate Conception in Borivali.