Shrine Basilica Bandel
Shrine Basilica Bandel
4.5
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
4.5
92 reviews
Excellent
42
Very good
41
Average
7
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0
Terrible
2
Mander Mukherjee
Kolkata (Calcutta), India315 contributions
Nov 2019 • Friends
The church is located in the city of Bandel in Hooghly district. The church was founded way back in 1599 by the Portuguese settlers. It is one of the most prominent historical churches in West Bengal as well as in India.
Written October 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Indrajit B
Chennai (Madras), India58 contributions
Dec 2019
Well maintained old Church. No entry fee. A great place to visit during Christmas. Can be reached by car, rickshaw, toto or auto. Lots of eateries outside. Near to Hoogly river. Nearest rail station Bandel Jn. A learning place for interested persons.
Written January 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shourjendra D
Kolkata (Calcutta), India3,657 contributions
Dec 2014 • Family
The title of my review best summarizes Bandel Basilica , or as it is colloquially known as Bandel Church.
It is a place of historical interest as it was first founded way back in 1599 , and is one of the oldest church in West Bengal.It also stands as a memorial to the Portuguese settlement in Bengal .
For Christians, this is a place of worship and veneration.
For a day trip in winter, it is a nice place to visit.
You can go there by Rail, Bus or Car from Kolkata. Distance by car through GT Road is roughly 53 Kms but GT Road is congested at most stretches.I drove down to Bandel from Kolkata through GT Road last week.Trains are there from Howrah Junction. Nearest big town is Chandannagar in Hooghly.
Winter afternoons brings hoards of tourists, picnickers and local inhabitants and it is usually bustling with activity. Not much to see inside except loads of murals and two quaint little angels in the garden inside.
Very clean and well kept inside and extremely clean toilet inside. You can see River Ganges from the church premises. The adjoining lawn is although shabby and full of local squatters and picnickers.
The entry door remains closed and entrance is through a narrow side door. There is no entry fee though.
You can park your car in the road opposite the Basilica.Lots of eateries outside create quite a racket, but food there is lame and mostly tasteless.
Overall a very good place for a winter afternoon visit with your family on a day tour, like I did. Try to accommodate other places to see nearby in that trip
It is a place of historical interest as it was first founded way back in 1599 , and is one of the oldest church in West Bengal.It also stands as a memorial to the Portuguese settlement in Bengal .
For Christians, this is a place of worship and veneration.
For a day trip in winter, it is a nice place to visit.
You can go there by Rail, Bus or Car from Kolkata. Distance by car through GT Road is roughly 53 Kms but GT Road is congested at most stretches.I drove down to Bandel from Kolkata through GT Road last week.Trains are there from Howrah Junction. Nearest big town is Chandannagar in Hooghly.
Winter afternoons brings hoards of tourists, picnickers and local inhabitants and it is usually bustling with activity. Not much to see inside except loads of murals and two quaint little angels in the garden inside.
Very clean and well kept inside and extremely clean toilet inside. You can see River Ganges from the church premises. The adjoining lawn is although shabby and full of local squatters and picnickers.
The entry door remains closed and entrance is through a narrow side door. There is no entry fee though.
You can park your car in the road opposite the Basilica.Lots of eateries outside create quite a racket, but food there is lame and mostly tasteless.
Overall a very good place for a winter afternoon visit with your family on a day tour, like I did. Try to accommodate other places to see nearby in that trip
Written December 23, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Partha C
Pondicherry, India1,270 contributions
Aug 2013 • Family
Very old church , built by Portugese around 1599, It was burnt by Mughal Emperor, again rebuilt. By the side of river ganges, in side beautiful photo of ancient time, describing all history. Xmas time it is really very busy with tourists. Worthy to see it.
Written October 3, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sutanuka D
Kolkata (Calcutta), India28 contributions
Dec 2011
well we may not belong to the christian religion but we traveled to this place to be in touch with that holy religion on that holy day..but alas...none other than members were allowed.
Written November 3, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RBan26
Bengaluru, India658 contributions
Nov 2015 • Family
Best and perhaps the oldest church of West Bengal built by Portuguese in 1660. It stands as the memorial to the Portuguese settlement in Bengal. Easy accessible by road and rail (Bandel). No entry restrictions to prayer hall round the year. Must plan a visit for 1-2 hr for strolling around the entire area. Do not miss to climb upto the top - u can see the vast stretch of meandering Ganga from the top. There is a 500 yr old original wooden mast on display - the remnant of the Portuguese ship wreck which was discovered by the local people and used as the saviour from the storms. Later the passengers ported at the ghats where the church stands today.
The oil paintings and the sculptures are rich in quality, detailing and diversity.
The oil paintings and the sculptures are rich in quality, detailing and diversity.
Written November 23, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Manjusree N
Nainital, India1,820 contributions
Mar 2016 • Family
Opened at 1660 at Bandel approx 80 Kilometers from Kolkata can be reached by local train.The Basilica of the Holy Rosary known as Bandel Church built by Portuguese now it become one of the prominent historical Church in India.
Written March 29, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tanuj B
Malda, India32 contributions
Nov 2015
Visited Bandel church on 1st November, 2015. Auto is available from Bandel Rly. Station. Takes 5 -10 minutes.
This is one of the best church in West Bengal. This is one of the oldest church too. The church is beautiful. The atmosphere of prayer Hall is excellent. Young people should understand that this is not a place meant for love making. Come here to pray. If not possible, stay calm at least!
Photography within the prayer Hall is prohibited. So couldn't take photo here. The bird's eye view of the Hoogly river is available from the top of the church.
Lodging and fooding facilities should be improved in the surroundings.
This is one of the best church in West Bengal. This is one of the oldest church too. The church is beautiful. The atmosphere of prayer Hall is excellent. Young people should understand that this is not a place meant for love making. Come here to pray. If not possible, stay calm at least!
Photography within the prayer Hall is prohibited. So couldn't take photo here. The bird's eye view of the Hoogly river is available from the top of the church.
Lodging and fooding facilities should be improved in the surroundings.
Written November 12, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
praisthelord
Kolkata (Calcutta), India4 contributions
Jan 2014 • Family
The Bandel church is about 40 km from Kolkata. Every year I go with my family and friends to visit the church of "Our Lady of the Rosary",burn candles, pray and of course most of my prayers have been granted. It is a must visit, however it is so sad and disheartening to see so less reviews for such a beautiful and holy place.
Written March 20, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Debarati D
Navi Mumbai, India1,748 contributions
Feb 2013 • Couples
Bandel, on the banks of the Hooghly,West Bengal, india, is best known for its magnificent church. Bandel Church is one of the oldest Christian churches in India. It is dedicated to Nossa Senhora do Rosário, also known as "Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem", meaning "Our Lady of the Good Voyage". People from almost all religious communities visit the church to admire its beauty, if not to worship. The chandeliers, stained-glass windows , statues and beautifully laid out gardens in the compound are a huge draw for visitors.
After Vasco da Gama reached the west coast of India in 1498, the Portuguese started making inroads into Bengal from 1530 .After obtaining permission from Akbar, the Mughal emperor, they constructed the port of Bandel in 1579. As they began settling in the area and enlisted priests from their settlement in Goa (on the west coast of India) to baptize the local populace, the number of Catholics increased. In 1599, the first Church was built. But it was destroyed during a siege and the Church with attached monastery was rebuilt in 1660 by Gomez de Soto with the keystone of the old church. After being modified several times it has now been accorded the status of a Basilica. The current facade of the building belies its historical roots and looks quite modern.It has obviously been restored, but it disappoints history aficionados like me who expected at least some historical vestiges to be retained.
Legend has it that in 1660, a Portuguese ship whose sail was torn in a storm drifted into the river and ended up in Bandel. During the storm, the ship’s captain had pledged to offer the main mast of the ship to the first church he sighted. The captain kept his word and the mast can still be seen in the compound of the Bandel Church. It is broken and is kept in a shed.
An arched gateway forms the main entrance of the church. A statue of Mary, with baby Jesus, on a boat is installed atop the gate.
Take the stairs to the top balcony, where devotees light candles in front of “Our Lady of the Happy Voyage”.
I am not aware whether any Church in India has a souvenir shop within its premises, but the Bandel church has one where you can buy interesting artifacts related to Christianity and history of the Church. During festivities, the Church is visited by huge number of pilgrims from far and near.
Bandel is 53 kms from Kolkata, the nearest major metro. We travelled to Bandel via the historic Grand Trunk road from Chandannagar, the earstwhile French settlement.
The premises outside the boundary wall of the Church is badly littered and the bank of the Hooghly near the Church being a popular picnic spot, winter revellers were playing loud music . One wishes greater sensitivity towards maintaining the sanctity and serenity of this historical edifice.
After Vasco da Gama reached the west coast of India in 1498, the Portuguese started making inroads into Bengal from 1530 .After obtaining permission from Akbar, the Mughal emperor, they constructed the port of Bandel in 1579. As they began settling in the area and enlisted priests from their settlement in Goa (on the west coast of India) to baptize the local populace, the number of Catholics increased. In 1599, the first Church was built. But it was destroyed during a siege and the Church with attached monastery was rebuilt in 1660 by Gomez de Soto with the keystone of the old church. After being modified several times it has now been accorded the status of a Basilica. The current facade of the building belies its historical roots and looks quite modern.It has obviously been restored, but it disappoints history aficionados like me who expected at least some historical vestiges to be retained.
Legend has it that in 1660, a Portuguese ship whose sail was torn in a storm drifted into the river and ended up in Bandel. During the storm, the ship’s captain had pledged to offer the main mast of the ship to the first church he sighted. The captain kept his word and the mast can still be seen in the compound of the Bandel Church. It is broken and is kept in a shed.
An arched gateway forms the main entrance of the church. A statue of Mary, with baby Jesus, on a boat is installed atop the gate.
Take the stairs to the top balcony, where devotees light candles in front of “Our Lady of the Happy Voyage”.
I am not aware whether any Church in India has a souvenir shop within its premises, but the Bandel church has one where you can buy interesting artifacts related to Christianity and history of the Church. During festivities, the Church is visited by huge number of pilgrims from far and near.
Bandel is 53 kms from Kolkata, the nearest major metro. We travelled to Bandel via the historic Grand Trunk road from Chandannagar, the earstwhile French settlement.
The premises outside the boundary wall of the Church is badly littered and the bank of the Hooghly near the Church being a popular picnic spot, winter revellers were playing loud music . One wishes greater sensitivity towards maintaining the sanctity and serenity of this historical edifice.
Written January 31, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Are there bengali eateries near bandel church.
Bandel church telephone number
Will Bandel church remain open on 25 December, 2016?? Timings please...
SSayantan85
Kolkata (Calcutta), India178 contributions
Yes. From morning itself.
Jit24
Howrah, West Bengal, India
Will the Church remain open tomorrow(Dec 25, 14)?
Shourjendra D
Kolkata (Calcutta), India3,657 contributions
It does remain open on that day and there is a nice display beside the lawn at the back depicting the birth of christ
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