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Bandel Church

  • Bandel Church
  • Statue of mother Mary and Jesus atop the gate
  • Our Lady of the Happy Voyage Statue in the balcony of Bandel Church
  • clock tower at Bandel Church
  • garden outside the Bandel Church

About Bandel Church


Established around 1660, Bandel Church is one of the oldest churches in West Bengal. Dedicated to Nossa Senhora do Rosario or ‘Our Lady of the Happy Journey’, it is a memorial to the Portuguese settlement in West Bengal. Considered to be built by Gomez de Soto, it has the key stone of the old church bearing year 1559 over the gate of the monastery. There are three altars, several tomb stones and a small organ in the church. It is one of the popular historical churches in West Bengal and is an ideal place for relaxation and prayer.

History
The existence of Bandel Church has got a Portuguese connection. A church was built on the banks of Hooghly almost a century after Vasco da Gama reached this state. The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan attacked the Portuguese in 1632 which resulted in the collapse of many forts and churches of Portugal settlement. The attacks on the Portuguese witnessed several miracles which saved lives of many people and impressed the Mughal Emperor. In one such incident, a Portuguese ship is said to have encountered a storm and the Captain of the ship promised to provide the main mast of the ship to the first church he will see. ‘Bandel’ is the Portuguese word for mast and the old church which the captain had found was named ‘Bandel Church’.

Location
The church is located at 40 kms away from Kolkata on the banks of river Hooghly. It is located 2 kms away from ‘Bandel’.

How to Reach Bandel
The church is reachable through several modes of transport.

By Rail
There are two stations at Bandel – Hooghly Railway Station and Bandel Junction. One of the important railway stations, Bandel Junction is located approximately 40 km away from Howrah station.

By Air
There is no airport in Bandel and Netaji Subhash Chandra Airport, in Kolkata is the nearest airport to this place.

By Road
Just like Kolkata, auto rickshaws are easily available in Bandel too. Buses, taxis and rickshaws can also be found on the roads to reach the church. 

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Last Updated on : Aug 13, 2014