The Basilica of the Holy Rosary, an important Marian Shrine near Calcutta

The Basilica of the Holy Rosary in Bandel, also called Our Lady of the Good Journey, is located north of the city of Calcutta, in West Bengal, India. It is the oldest church in northern and eastern India and a popular destination for many Marian pilgrimages.

Bandel Church gradually became a Marian place of worship when a miraculous statue of Our Lady of the Good Journey was installed there by a Portuguese captain whose ship, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, escaped sinking during a violent storm in the Bay of Bengal. A ship's mast erected in front of the church commemorates this event.

Many pilgrims and tourists visit the shrine, especially Catholic Santals (from India and Bangladesh) who hold their large annual gathering and pilgrimage there each January. The Chinese community of Calcutta also meets there every year.

The shrine was declared a minor basilica in 1988 by Pope John Paul II.

Marian Encyclopedia