Our Lady of the Rosary church features Stations of the Cross. The Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, are a series of scenes depicting Jesus Christ on the day of his crucifixion. The Stations of the Cross are tied to the Christian themes of repentance and mortification of the flesh.
Between 1924-25, the church was extended to accommodate the increasing number of people. The church was completely remodelled during the Vicarship of Msgr. Stanislaus Pereira to give it a modern appearance.
The year of consecration of Our Lady of the Rosary Church on Dockyard Road, Mazagaon, is inscribed on the outer wall. In 1794, this new church was built a few metres away from the old Gloria Church, which till 1794 was the only church in Mazagaon.
The wrought iron grilles on the boundary wall were installed in 1860 with the marking NRS, which stands for Nossa Senhora do Rosario, or “Our Lady of the Rosary”.
Mazagaon Koliwada, one of Mumbai’s oldest Koli settlements, existed as a fishing village since long before Europeans arrived. While the original fishing village no longer exists, descendants of the Koli fishermen still reside in the same neighborhood.
Yashoda Nakhva, seventy years old, spent most of her life in this house. Recently, she moved to a new place, just a short distance away. Yashoda laments how the dockyard has obstructed the view of the sea from the balcony of the Nakhva house and blocked the cool sea breeze.
Saraswati Nakhva received her education at the Nawab Tank Upper Primary Municipal Marathi School, located inside the Kamgar Sadan building. This building was established by the Port Trust of India in 1937, and it is located in the Railway Colony at Mazagaon Koliwada.
After her father’s demise, Saraswati’s brother, Om Prakash Nakhva, did not continue her father’s legacy in the fishing business. Instead, he made his career in the service industry, working at the Colaba docks. He married Meena, who now lives with Saraswati.