The Feast of the Road Cross is celebrated annually on May 31, commemorating the visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In Catholic Christianity, the visitation recounts the encounter in the New Testament when the pregnant Virgin Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist. This event is described in the Gospel of Luke 1:39–56.
Mount Mary Basilica is designed in the neo-gothic style, which gained popularity in the late 19th century CE. Materials for its construction were transported by sea and carried up the hill using bullock carts and donkeys. The basilica is the fourth structure on the site. The first chapel, dedicated to Our Lady of the Mount, was established in 1570, at a time when Bandra was under Portuguese rule.
The marble statue of Our Lady of Fatima stands six and a half feet tall, holding a rosary. It was built as a memorial to the Marian Congress held in Mumbai from December 4–8, 1954. Our Lady of Fatima is a title attributed to the Virgin Mary following her apparitions to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal, in 1917.
The Mount Mary Grotto, officially known as the Oratory of Our Lady of Fatima, stands facing Mount Mary Basilica across Mount Mary Road. Adorning the walls of the oratory is the sevenfold message of Our Lady of Fatima, encompassing prayer, penance, meditation, peace, rosary, reparation, and sacrifice.
Fish is preserved in ice to keep it fresh during storage and shipping. Fish kept in an ice-filled container helps maintain freshness and quality by delaying spoiling and bacterial growth.
Due to its high demand and limited supply, pomfret (paplet) is typically the priciest fish available for purchase. Pomfret typically live in deeper waters, which makes them more difficult to catch and accounts for their higher price.
Bombay duck is one of the most popular fish used to make dried fish. Other species include ribbon fish (pictured here), also known as vaala or belt fish; mackerel, locally known as bangda; sardines, known as tarli or pedvey in Marathi; and prawns, known as jhinga.
Before they are sold, fish are thoroughly cleaned and gutted to remove undesirable parts like fins, tails, bones, scales, and viscera. Instead of being discarded, fish waste is processed to produce fishmeal and fish oil, both of which have numerous industrial and agricultural applications. Fishmeal is a valuable source of protein and nutrients used in animal feeds for livestock, poultry, and aquaculture.
Dried fish may be packaged in plastic bags or pouches with airtight seals to protect them from moisture and contaminants. Processed fish products are sold to wholesalers or exported to other regions.
Local fishermen catch a variety of prawn species off the coast of Mumbai. Whiteleg prawn (king prawn), black tiger shrimp, different species of Solenocera or pink shrimp (seen here), green tiger prawn, and greasyback shrimp are among them.