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Did you know that Shivajinagar in Bangalore today was once called 'Bili Akki Palli' and the funny tongue of the British made it 'Blackpally'? It was only later that it came to be called Shivajinagar in honour of Maratha King Shivaji Bhosle who once ruled here.
The hustle bustle of the streets of Shivajinagar in the cantonment area at first glance doesn't seem to invite tourists except for the shopping experience it provides. Very few know that there's also a touristy side to Shivajinagar which comes in the form of St. Mary's Basilica. It is one of the six basilica's in India; which means that it receives special privileges from the Pope himself. People in the Christian faith believe that a visit to a basilica once a year brings them prosperity. The church was probably built in the 17th or the 18th century and was called "Kaanike Mathe Devalaya" or Our Lady of Presentation.
If you're a Bangalorean and haven't visited St. Mary's Basilica yet, you should probably do it now! Or perhaps, you could wait for September 8th. There's a grand celebration in the planning for that day and the following week. St. Mary's feast is an annual ten-day-occasion when the streets of Shivajinagar will be decorated in bright colours. People from in and around Bangalore gather here to celebrate the birth anniversary of Mother Mary.
And if you happen to plan your visit to Bangalore this month, you could bite into the feast of St. Mary's. It's a perfect example of how cultures blend and make the 'other' the part of the 'self'. There'll also be a chariot taken round the area on the final day when people dance and sing in praise of Mother Mary. Devotees who swarm here in large numbers during the annual feast refer to their beloved Mother Mary as Arogya Mathe or Mother of Health.
Be a part of this grand occasion and embrace the divine as the divine embraces you!
