400 years and counting: How Bandra’s St. Andrew’s Church stood the test of time

One look at the towering church will transport you down the pages of history – a history rife with political intrigue, battle-worn and yet triumphant.

By the bay of Bandra, on the island of Salcette, St. Andrew’s Church was built around the late 1500s and has seen 50 more winters than the Taj Mahal in Agra. The honour of being the oldest church of Bandra goes to St. Anne’s, which was later converted into the Bandra slaughterhouse and is now the BEST depot near the Bandra station, but it was blown up by the English in March 1739, leaving the Church of St. Andrew’s as the only existing church in Bandra.

Over the next 114 years, it served as the only church of the area, until 1853, when St. Peter’s was formed. It was said that the parish of St. Andrew’s was then considered “more lucky” than that of St. Peter’s as more fish were caught there, Father Caesar D’Mello, the current vicar recalled in jest.

First rays of the morning sun fall on the entrance wall (L) and cast shadows inside (R) - Ashmak Maity/dna

Standing tall amidst a rapidly changing city

Next came the introduction of train services in Bandra in 1867 which was a quantum leap towards development. Founder of the Bombay Historical Society (1925), Braz Fernandes, in his chronicle, Bandra: Its Religious and Secular History, had written about “house famine” – lack of homes. Church of St. Andrew’s, being the only constant among the rapidly changing cityscape, was allotted an entire chapter. It is a detailed account of the first 300 years of the church. Braz Fernandes’ grave is by the southern wall of the church.

Until Father Manuel Gomes SJ came to the shores of Salcette, the Jesuits had made little progress. But the “Apostle of Salcette”, as he is popularly known, and his knowledge of the local language is credited for converting almost the whole of Bandra. It is said that after his passing, Father was laid to rest at the sanctum.

A young parishioner offers prayers at  St. Andrew's Cathedral - Ashmak Maity/dna

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Surviving storms

The churches by the bay were so precariously located, that many of them were damaged every time a storm hit. During one such hurricane, in 1618, the roof of St. Andrew’s Church was extensively damaged. Cordara’s ‘History of the Jesuits’ recorded, “The whole was like the ruin at the end of all things.” It suffered damage one more time after reconstruction, during the Maratha invasion of 1737-’39. The roof was burnt down and the original bell was lost too.

Father D’Mello mused how the presbytery, around 1997 was supported by wooden poles. Pigs from the neighbouring village, Chimbai, would come and rub their backs against those poles, making the entire building shake. The church did not undergo any major alteration until 1965. To accommodate the growing numbers, the wooden porch was demolished and the church was extended by 75 metres, and the facade was built with a statue of Saint Andrew on the niche. This major extension of the church was celebrated with the Extension Opening Ceremony in 1966.

St. Andrew's cemetery situated outside the south wall and is also home to Braz Fernandes - Ashmak Maity/dna

The planning of the church

Father D’Mello mentioned that in the 18th century, a carpenter carved his name on a beam inside the church. Another interesting feature of the sanctuary are the two holes that let the breeze from the sea carry the voice of the priest throughout the length of the church when there were no microphones.
Unlike the Roman Catholic churches, this was constructed on Portuguese plans. Therefore, instead of the cruciform, it had a rectangular shape. Built on an east-west axis symmetrically, the sanctuary was housed on the west end. There is a small aperture right above the statue of St. Andrew, on the façade. It was designed in such a manner that during the Vernal Equinox (March 21 and 22) and the Autumnal Equinox (Septemeber 22 and 23), a beam of sunlight shines through that hole exactly at 7 am and falls on the keystone of the arch, separating the sanctuary from the main altar. 

This article was first published on iamin.in. For more such hyperlocal stories, visit their website.

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