Being a Bandra resident, a talk about the history of the place a few weeks ago triggered my interest greatly. Denis Rodrigues, who studied the 'Queen of the Suburbs' for over 10 years and has commendable knowledge on the same, shelled out interesting information about the place. Not only is it a cultural, culinary and business hub of the city, it is also a place that everyone has fond memories of. Setting that aside, how much do you know about the origins of this fast-paced suburb? It goes all the way back to 1548, when Portuguese merchants escaped the civil wars in Europe and decided to travel around the world. They were one of the early sea travellers who discovered lands hidden from the global eye.

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Vasco da Gama was the first to set foot on Indian soil and in doing so, discovered that the land was laden with spices, thus facilitating an open trade route for spices. While the original intention was only to trade spices, the Portuguese later desired a control over all sea routes to gain monopoly over rising markets.

How it all startedIt was during this endeavour, that they moved along the coastal areas to establish settlements for merchants during their extended stay on land. They soon discovered Goa, which was rich in horses. However, on travelling further north, the Portuguese discovered another area located along the coast. They called it Aldiea Bandora; Aldiea literally means: an income-generating state. The area had about 12 villages and a fortified area called Povoacoa, a manor handled by the seat of Tanador of Salsette, like a mayor. In 1573, the Jesuits were given possession over Aldiea. The reason why the number of Catholics are so high in Bandra is because of this—the Jesuits were on a mission to educate and transform locals in Bandora and the only way to do so, was through Christianity. Another stronghold of Bandra now, is the prominent Koli community. Back then, they were a marginalised lot.

Strong administrationThe society was highly segmented for administrative purposes. There were Povoacaos, who formed the elite group, the Currumbis, who were the cultivators, followed by the Kolis, and finally the Bhois and Birandaris, who formed a minority and were servants and basket weavers respectively. While the Jesuits ruled over Bandora, there was a lot of development in terms of socio-economic reconstruction, education and even religious tolerance. In order to facilitate education, they built St. Anne's Primary School, located at the place, which is now Bandra's bus depot. The entire area was then part of the Arabian Sea. Hence, Bandra now consists mostly of reclaimed land.

On the religious front, St. Andrew's Church, which recently celebrated its 400th anniversary was also built during this era. Moreover, the Jesuits were quick to accept the confraternities and the existing caste system in India. These were the highlighted years of Bandora, which as time progressed came to be called Vandre, when the Marathas took over in 1737. It was through this that Bandra acquired its mixed religious background and continues to be a cultural and culinary melting pot to this day.