Where’s Mumbai’s Christian heritage?

Set in the 1990s the novel Khotachiwadi Chronicles Aunty Perpetual amp The Fall of House Rodrigues by Charlene Flanagan is soon to be released Its protagonist is a wellmeaning neighbourhood aunty who is also nosy Therersquos gossip mystery and redemption wrapped in the pages It takes place in a dominantly Christian neighbourhood giving you a glimpse of the communityrsquos heritageMumbairsquos Christian heritage survives in small pockets but itrsquos tough to find With Mumbairsquos new look under development itrsquos even tougher to trace So we spoke to city authors from the community to tell us more about the neighbourhoods their books speak ofCharlene Flanaganrsquos KhotachiwadiSitting in Girgaon Khotachiwadi gets its name from Waman Hari Khot who sold plots of land around the 18th century to the East Indian Christian Community Itrsquos here that Flanaganrsquos characters come to life ldquoI grew up in Cavel but my characters are set in Khotachiwadi because the neighbourhood is historically beautiful Over time the neighbourhood has seen all kinds of people But my protagonist is a Catholic aunty I have so many stories of the things my aunties say and people in our community do itrsquos what comes through in the bookrdquo says FlanaganFashion designer James Ferreira outside his home at Khotachiwadi Girgaum Pics Getty ImagesKhotachiwadi is much different from the rsquo90s today However you can see the communityrsquos past in the homes that are now shrouded by skyrises Take a walk along the route and stop by the home of designer James Ferreira a champion of preserving the Wadirsquos heritage You can make an appointment for a walkthrough of his 200yearold home Ferreira has also opened his doors as a homestay For an appointment reach out via Instagram jamesferreiralabelJane Borgesrsquos Cavel and SonapurNamed after the washermanrsquos lake that disappeared around the mid17th century the northeastern part of the Dhobi Talao neighbourhood was once Cavel and features in Jane Borgesrsquo book Bombay BalchaoCavel was once a Christian enclave and welcomed migrants as well Eventually the community moved to north Mumbai and even abroad and Gujarati and Marwari traders moved in Close by was Sonapur which Borges describes as the graveyard of the residents of Cavel ldquoI think thatrsquos where the name Sonapur comes from too It was the land of the asleeprdquo she says Her upcoming book Mog Asundi a Konkani phrase that means ldquolet there be loverdquo is set in Sonapur Borges adds ldquoItrsquos a parting phrase thatrsquos used instead of goodbye Itrsquos common among GoansrdquoYou can visit the Church of Our Lady of Dolours near Marine Lines station which was built over a graveyard An old chapel was once here and after it fell to pieces the church was built in 1796 At the time it was called Church of Nossa Senhora de Saude and eventually transitioned to its English nameSimona Terronrsquos MumbaiWith her book still in the works exjournalist and heritage tour guide Simona Terron speaks of many pockets in the city where one can find Christian heritage Her book Beloved Badmash Bombay chronicles the neighbourhoods she has grown up and lived in across the city As a guide Terronrsquos trails are centred around Christian history She says ldquoI began doing these tours because the Christian community is often just thought of as Catholics or Goans But it includes East Indians Mangaloreans Goans Malayalis Tamilians and more and even within that we have Protestants Catholics and many others So I decided to tell the communityrsquos historyrdquo Terron says her walks and her book are an attempt to strip the stereotypes associated with the communityAn interior view of the Church of St John the Evangelist better known as the Afghan ChurchShe recommends exploring Colaba and Fort through its churches Therersquos the recently revived Afghan Church at Colaba a war memorial built under British rule in memory of those who died in the AngloAfghan war also in Colaba the Cathedral of the Holy Name which has a beautifully painted ceiling and is also the seat and headquarters of the Archbishop of Bombay and finally the 300yearold St Thomas Cathedral at Horniman Circle that gives Churchgate its name and is steeped in historyA different experience is revealed in Vasai which has a rich history You can go around the locality of Giriz which is closer to the sea Here several bungalows still stand and some popular ones are the Pereira House Dabre House Sequiera House and Coutinho House You can also get in touch with Terron for a guided tour via her Instagram BelovedBadmashBombayCityGuide