Don Bosco Church Matunga, officially known as Shrine of Don Bosco’s Madonna is a famous church in Mumbai. Tucked in one of the bylanes of Matunga, this church has remained a part of Mumbai’s heritage for many decades now.
Since it is the holiday season and Christmas is just around the corner, I decided to visit this church with Sarah probably when there are not many devotees around. This way I can get the best pictures of the church without interrupting anyone or causing inconvenience. However, this is not the first time I’ve visited this church.
Back in 2000, I visited Don Bosco church Matunga Mumbai with one of my friends and his family. Back then, I was only able to explore it briefly because they organize various Christmas events in Mumbai. However, this time I decided to spend a substantial amount of time on Thursday Doors.
So, the best time to be at Don Bosco Church Mumbai was just ten minutes before the church opened?
A Tour of the Shrine
Being a history enthusiast, I love to dig into some of the oldest church in Mumbai like Saint Thomas Cathedral in Churchgate. However, Don Bosco Church Mumbai is not quite as old as you might think. In fact, it is the newest in the list of famous church in Mumbai.
The church’s foundation stone was blessed and laid in 1954. However, it was in 1955 that the permission was granted to build the Shrine. In the next three years, the building was constructed and opened to the public on August 5, 1957. The church was blessed by the then-appointed auxiliary Bishop of Bombay Longinus Pereira.
Over the years, this famous church in Mumbai has gained love not only from the Catholic community but also from regular Mumbaikars who consider it a part of the city’s heritage.
As I stood before the wooden church door and the golden-brown granite building the simplicity of its design struck me. Unlike some of the other popular churches in Mumbai that have Gothic architecture, this one is strikingly plain and geometric.
Designed by two local architects, Patkil and Dadarkar, the building when looked at from above forms a traditional Roman Cross. The curved doors take inspiration from various Roman churches. The most striking feature of Don Bosco Church Matunga Mumbai is this huge mosaic depicting Don Bosco with Madonna right above the front door.
On both sides of the front façade are huge cross-shaped glass windows. Also right above those windows are two bell towers that complete the front appearance.
As you walk towards the side, you can see two more side doors on either side. However, as you look above you can see a gold-plated statue of Mary Help of Christians perched atop the main dome. This statue is still visible from different parts of the area and is an integral part of the Matunga-Wadala skyline.
As the church doors opened for the evening hours, I and Sarah decided to go in. In contrast to the golden-brown granite on the exterior, the white-maroon marble floors and walls immediately capture your attention.
As you walk in, you can find mosaic panels right above the windows depicting the 14 stations of the Cross. As you look closely, you can admire these panels made using tiny marble fragments.
Right above the mosaic panels, you can also see vertical stained-glass panels created by renowned Italian painter Peter Flavio of Turin. These stained-glass panels were shipped to India in segments and later reassembled here on-site. Many of these stained-glass panels also depict scenes from Don Bosco’s life.
As you move towards the altar you can admire the natural light via the main dome reflecting sunlight. The white Italian marble makes it look brighter and grander.
While I was exploring the interiors of the church I found two wooden confession boxes. Then, I decided to pause and sit with Sarah for a while.
It was a peaceful experience. Both of us prayed and had our personal conversations with God. A few minutes later, one by one devotees started to fill in for the evening mass taking up seats. We decided to take a leave. However, we were completely happy that our trip to Don Bosco Church Matunga went exactly the way we had planned.
When you are done with the below images take a tour of the most popular Catholic church in Mumbai – Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount
More Images of Don Bosco Church Mumbai
6 comments
Wonderful doors, Sharukh. I love that you were there as they were opening the door. I always wonder what is behind the doors and you were able to answer that for us. I love the doors, the windows and the general architecture you’ve shared with us today.
This Sunday was hectic. I wanted to cover more churches for Thursday Doors (some yet to come) so I had to commute quickly since they are 6-7 miles from each other. However, I was able to be at this church right on time and even sit and pray for few minutes. Glad that you loved the doors and the architecture details. You also get some credit for all this because you inspire me to go out and take these shots.
Great post showcasing this magnificent church. I love the doors and the glass cross. I’ve never seen that before.
Glad that you got to see something new. Thank you for visiting and commenting, Wayne.
It’s wonderful to see beyond the door. What a spectacular building. Hugs to you and Sarah.
Glad that you liked it, Teagan. Thanks for visiting and commenting.