A guide to Mumbai’s oldest churches, from 6th-century Christianity and Portuguese parishes older than the Taj Mahal to Gothic cathedrals, relics, frescoes, cave ruins and Christmas traditions hidden across the city
Mumbai’s skyline has a distinct gloss marked by its concrete-and-glass skyscrapers. It’s hard to imagine the city once with low-tiled roof houses, clustered together, almost sticking to each other; where the skyline belonged not to developers but to religious buildings. Their spires, domes or towers gently rose above the other structures.
Christianity in Mumbai didn’t appear overnight; its roots run deep. According to a coffee-table book published by the Archdiocesan Heritage Museum, Mumbai, its earliest roots can be traced back to the 6th century CE, with small communities of Nestorian Christians documented in Kalyan, Revdanda, and Virar. The same book notes that Christianity was documented in Thane in 1321. Later, under Portuguese colonial rule in the 1500s, organised evangelisation began, with the first parish founded in 1547.
The earliest churches were humble, with thatched roofs and dirt or cow dung smeared floors. Over centuries, they evolved into ornate buildings with Portuguese, Byzantine, Neogothic and later modern architectural styles. About 24 parishes in the city are older than the Taj Mahal itself!
With a faint winter chill in the air and the Christmas season stretching until January 6, now is the best time to explore Mumbai’s churches. They lie peaceful and unnoticed in the chaotic din of this bustling city. Now is when they come alive, with crib installations curated by parish youth, lights and decorations that feel almost magical, and, if you’re lucky, the occasional choir recital resounding in the nave. Here are some of Mumbai’s many churches, and the architecture, art, and stories to look out for in each:
Holy Name Cathedral: Tucked in the bylanes of Colaba Causeway, this Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Bombay. Its dramatic and imposing neo-Gothic structure exudes magnificence. It was declared a heritage building in 1988. Step inside, and you will notice glass-stained windows depicting nativity scenes, ornate pillars and even a pipe organ on the choir loft. Several papal gifts lie here, including a bell from Pope Paul VI, a gold-embroidered stole from Pope John XXIII, and a stole with a red hat gifted by Pope Pius XII. The standout for me, though, is the recently restored ceiling frescoes, which are absolutely worth the sore neck. For a moment, it feels like a slice of Rome in Mumbai.
St Thomas’s Cathedral: Tucked just west of Horniman Circle in South Bombay, this cathedral is the first Anglican religious structure in the city. It is a Grade I heritage structure, and was considered Mumbai’s “zero point”—the spot from which all distances to and from the city were once measured. It also lends its name to the surrounding Churchgate area.
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A tension between simplicity and grandeur is exhibited in the original, restrained Byzantine style and the later extended neogothic style. Numerous marble-carved memorial plaques lie here, commemorating officials of the East India Company and other notable Englishmen and women who once lived and worked in Bombay. The front row contains the two iconic chairs once occupied by King George V and Queen Mary.
Afghan Church: This church at Navy Nagar in Colaba was hard to miss by travellers and sailors at sea, when Mumbai was an archipelago of seven islands. The 165-year-old Afghan Church, officially known as Church of St John the Evangelist, is a Grade I heritage structure built in the Gothic Revival style. Its walls are mounted with plaques engraved with the names of soldiers, both British and Indian, who died in the Anglo-Afghan War of 1838. The centerpiece of the church is its mosaic wall and the altar wall made of Porbandar limestone.
St Francis Xavier Church, Dabul: Tucked in the narrow alleys of Charni Road, this church houses relics of St Francis Xavier, kept locked in a box and displayed only during the feast on 3rd December. His body is at the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa. An interesting story is about the Portuguese church bells. The Portuguese built churches along the coast from Daman to Salsette (one of the seven islands of Mumbai) with two bells each. When the Marathas attacked these settlements, they destroyed much but carried away the bells as war trophies. Many exist in village temples across Maharashtra, and one of the original bells was later gifted to this church.
Church of Our Lady of Health, Cavel: Though the structure is largely modern, this church houses several old artefacts and is one of the smallest parishes in the city. Originally a private chapel, it was later opened to local Christians for prayer. It had a Portuguese style before being remodeled. The original central altar is still in place featuring beautiful gold gilding. The two side altars, however, were removed after termite damage and are now preserved at the Archdiocesan Heritage Museum.
Gloria Church, Byculla: This church is huge, imposing and easily recognisable by its twin spires and stone silhouette. In 1794, some churches in Bombay were placed under the Portuguese (Padroado), and some under a new organisation (Propaganda Fide). Gloria Church came under Padroado, but instead of following the Portuguese style, it was built in the English Gothic style, which was popular at the time.
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It’s not hard to miss the five carved stone altars, each transept featuring a rose window eighteen feet in diameter, the ceiling with pointed arches, and the glass painted panels, some of which are scenes from the nativity. Nearby lies Matharpacady village, dotted with colourful houses and narrow lanes. The village is decorated for Christmas, music often fills its streets, and it houses a 150-year-old cross that, legend has it, protected the community during the plague.
St Andrews Church, Bandra: This is probably one of the only churches in Mumbai, closest to the Portuguese style of design, similar to the ones in Goa. St Andrew’s traces its origins to 1575, making it older than the Taj Mahal, right at the end of busy Hill Road. It was restored just this year. The main altar is adorned with the 12 apostles, with St Andrew, the patron, at the centre. What stands out is the main altar along with two side altars, originally polychrome but now coated in a bright gold restoration.
A 17-foot monolithic stone cross near the southern wall is one of the oldest religious structures in Bandra. It was brought here from the ruins of St Anne’s Church, which was destroyed during the Portuguese-Maratha war (its original site is now where the bus depot and Bandra station stand). I’m told that twice a year, during the equinoxes, the rising sun enters through a small aperture above the statue of its patron saint on the façade, casting an almost unreal glow on the altar at precisely 7 am.
Ruins at SEEPZ and Mandapeshwar caves: This city also houses the abandoned remains of former churches. In 1579, a Portuguese church was built at what is now known as the Santacruz Electronic Export Processing Zone (SEEPZ) complex. An unfortunate epidemic struck the village in 1840, leading to the church being abandoned. It fell into rapid decay over the years, and only three arches supporting the façade, the sanctuary with its altar, and the high stone walls of the nave remain. Every year on the second Sunday of May, people gather here to celebrate the holy mass.
The roots of the present-day Immaculate Conception church in Borivali can be traced to Mandapeshwar Caves at Mount Poinsur. These were originally Buddhist viharas, and later Hindu temples dedicated to Shiva. It was briefly used by friars as a crypt and a chapel. Above the caves lie the ruins of a mid-16th-century Portuguese church and monastery. The caves are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.
