Bandel Church

Bandel, (the name came from the Bengali word “bandar” which means “port”) appears to have been the port of Hooghly. At the time of Portuguese and Mughals.  The only relies of the Portuguese settlement are the Church (Basilica) and the monastery.  It is about 2 kms away from the station ‘Bandel’.  The present church and monastery are said to be built in 1660 by Gomez de Soto having the key stone of the old church bearing the date 1599 over the eastern gate of the Monastery.  In front of the Church stands a ship’s mast which was presented by the captain of a vessel which had encountered a storm in Bay of Bengal and save by the grace of Virgin, the center of attraction.  There is the statue of” One lady of Happy Voyage” in the middle of the church.  The church has three altars, a small organ & several tomb stones. 

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