Bandra is a place name which I have heard about a lot, mainly that celebrities live there. I wish to see the place and want to know which places I can visit there. I would like to know what places to shop at? Are there any flee markets there? Famous and historical places. Maybe a list of some houses of celebrities.
Hello, @Saba! Welcome to the forum! So first, I'll begin with listing the attractions in Bandra. Bandra is a suburb in West Mumbai in the state of Maharashtra. It is a posh locality and is often termed as the Queen of the Suburbs. As you have mentioned, lots of Bollywood celebrities live within the area. Aside from celebrities, cricket players and political personalities also reside in the area. Here are some of the best tourist attractions in Bandra: Religious Mount Mary Church - This is also known as the Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount. The feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated here on the first Sunday after September 8. This is then followed by a week-long celebration known as the Bandra Fair, which is attended by many tourists and devotees locally and internationally. The basilica is located on a hillock which is about 80 metres above sea level. The original church was destroyed in 1738 by the Marathas. The statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary here dates back to the 16th century but was destroyed by Arab pirates during the 1700s. The statue was then replaced in 1760 with the statue of Our Lady of Navigators in the St. Andrew's church nearby. St. Andrews Church - This was built in 1575 by the Portuguese Jesuits. It was the only church in the Bandra suburb until the 1700s. The high altar carries the statues of Sacred Heart, Our Lady and St. Andrew. Above the main statues, there are smaller statues of St. John the Baptist, St. Sebastian and the Bom Jesus. There's also a mini-museum in the choir loft of the church. Shree Siddhivinayak Temple - This temple was built by Laxman Vithu and Deubai Patil in 1801. It has a small mandap for Siddhi Vinayak, which means Ganesha Granting Wish. The wooden doors of the sanctum has carvings of Ashtavinayak or the Eight Manifestations of Ganesha. This is also considered as Mumbai's richest tempe trust, receiving over ₹100 million of donations annually. Gardens Jogger's Park - This is a seaside jogging track in Bandra which was opened to the public in the year of 1990. The jogging track is about 400 metres long, with a mud strip for running and two paved tracks for jogging/walking. The park was planned and developed by veteran coach, Late Oliver Andrade. The park used to be a dumping ground but Oliver Andrade transformed in into a jogging track with the assistance of the Rahejas, the Lokhandwalas and the Rizvi builders. The park is open from 5:30 am to 9:00 am and from 3:30 pm to 9:00 pm. There's an entrance fee of Rs. 2 to enter the park. Maharashtra Nature Park - This was previously known as the Mahim Nature Park. It is located on the Bandra-Sion Link Road at the Southern bank of Mithi River. This used to be a dumping ground until the year 1977. It was around the year 1980 when 3 active members of World Wildlife Fund and a known naturalist, Salim Ali, had planned to transform it into a nature park. In 1994, that vision came true and the construction for the park started. Many species of birds can be seen from the park like laughing doves, black kites, greater coucals, shikaras, great egrets, Eurasian wrynecks, purple sunbirds, little green bee eaters, blue throats and barn swallow birds. There are also about 13,000 species of trees, plants and herbs here. Reptiles such as snakes, frogs and lizards are also found within the park. The park is open from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm daily, for an entry fee of Rs. 5. Historical Bandra Fort - This is also known as Castella De Aguada. You can find it in Land's End in Bandra. The fort was built as a watchtower by Portuguese during the year 1640. It overlooks the Arabian Sea, Mahim Bay and the Southern end of the Mahim Island. During the rule of the Portuguese, the fort had several cannons and weaponry. The fort also has a freshwater spring which supplied water to ships, hence the name Castella De Aguada. Leisure Bandstand Promenade - This is a kilometre long walkway with a lover's point, a park, a jogging track and an amphitheatre. The Walk of the Stars can also be found within the promenade, which features six statues of Bollywood actors and 100 brass plates with the handprints and signatures of other stars. Carter Road Promenade - This is another walkway with a lover's point, a park and a jogging track. It is located on the West side of Bandra. The walkway extends until Khar Danda. Here are some shopping places around Bandra: Shopping in Bandra Linking Road - This is the most popular shopping area in Bandra. It starts from SV Road in Bandra and extends up to Khar Danda, Juhu and Santa Cruz. The stalls are grouped accordingly, you start with traditional Indian clothes first, then continue on to shoes, bags and lastly, belts. At the last stretch, you'll find higher end brands of apparels and other items. My favourite items are the hippie bags sold here which cost a few hundred rupees only. Hill Road - You can find this in the intersection of Bandra Railway Station and SV Road. Most of the items here are factory rejects so make sure you check them thoroughly before purchasing them. The stalls start setting up by 3:00 pm or 4:00 pm so consider visiting after these times to be able to check out as plenty stalls as you'd like. You can find shoes, clothes and bags here, which are quite trendy and fashionable. There's an annual Bandra Flea Market that usually happens in the Bandra Kurla Complex. This year, the event happened from April 15 to April 17. However, the dates are usually not fixed and the duration is just a short time. It features several pop-up stalls selling dresses, shirts, accessories and other items. There's also the annual Lil Flea Pop up Market which occurs in different areas of Mumbai. The last time it happened in Bandra was in December 2014 though. It was set up in the Reclamation Ground in Bandra. Over 200 pop-up stalls with one-of-a-kind items joined the event. There were also stalls selling delicious cupcakes and pastry items. Some celebrities have made Bandra their home. Here are some of them: 1. Shahrukh Khan - He is also fondly known as SRK, an Indian film actor, producer and television personality. He is known as the King of Bollywood. He has appeared in more than 80 Bollywood films and has gathered numerous awards. He is also the co-chairman of the motion picture production company Red Chillies Entertainment and co-owner of the cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders. Address in Bandra - Mannat, Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Road, Bandstand, Bandra (West), Mumbai 400050. 2. Aditya Pancholi - He is an Indian actor, producer and playback singer. He started out as a lead actor but has gained more popularity for appearing in supporting and negative roles. His most prominent negative role was in the movie, Yes Boss, released in 1997. Address in Bandra - 401, Sea King Apartments, Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Road, Band Stand, Bandra (West), Mumbai 400050. 3. Chunky Pandey - He is an Indian actor who have starred in over 80 films. The peak of his Bollywood career was between 1987 to 1992. After which, he started starring on Bangladeshi films. He has started to work in Hindu films again from 2003 onwards. Address in Bandra - 1 A/B Monisha Apartments, St Andrews Road, Bandra (West), Mumbai 400 050. 4. Zeenat Aman - She is an Indian actress, model and beauty queen best known for her unconventional roles. She also introduced the modern look to Hindi fashion in films. Address in Bandra - Neelam Apartments, 3rd Floor, Mount Mary Road, Bandra (West), Mumbai 400050. 5. Deepika Padukone - She is a popualr Indian actress, one of the highest paid ones in the world even. She started out as a badminton player but left that career to pursue acting. She has been nominated for numerous Best Actress Awards as well. Address in Bandra - B Wing, Cozihom, Pali Hill, Bandra West, Mumbai 400050. I hope this helps.
