English
Church of Saint John the Baptist
Ghodbandar, Mumbai Metropolitan Area (Bombay), India
Religious Architecture
Salsette Island was part of the Província do Norte of the Estado da Índia from 1534 to 1737 and has now been largely taken over by suburban growth from Mumbai. The green space of Sanjay Gandhi Park nevertheless remains, where the famous Kanheri caves are located. Vestiges of a palatial residence and a church can be found north of the park along the Vasai Creek in the village of Ghodbandar, which the Portuguese called Gorbandel. The village of Ghodbandar developed around a small port traditionally associated to the horse trade. After the Portuguese arrived, though at an uncertain date, a church dedicated to Saint John was built on a prominent elevation. The village of converted fishermen clustered around this structure. The settlement was eventually chartered to Martim Afonso de Mello, a member of one of the Província do Norte’s richest families. The construction of a large manor house with solid renaissance lines is attributed to this noble – or one of his predecessors. Its vestiges can be found about 150 metres northwest of the old church. In 1737 Gorbandel was conquered at the same time as Arnala (Ilha das Vacas – Cow Island), in an unexpected attack by Maratha forces, who also attacked the Thane Fort. Several metres west of the manor house the Marathas built a round bastion and used the strategic position to wage their military campaign. In 1774 the area was occupied by the English. Little is known about the Ghodbandar church’s history or founding. It seems to figure in the depiction of Salsette Island by Pedro Barreto Resende (c. 1635) and was probably under the charge of secular clergy. But the church declined and fell into ruin after the 1737 Maratha conquest. In the mid-19th century the English used the structure to house their agent in Ghodbandar; it currently functions as an inn. The access staircase maintains the Portuguese period design, though little remains of the structure proper, except for the overall arrangement, stonework sections and an arch with some relief work in the interior.