From: Norman Coelho
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{}-->forwarded by my Class Mate Minaz Merchant Christmas Letter from
Bandra...60s 70s 80s🎄🎄🚂There's nothing like Christmas in Bandra. . In our
times, cute little cottages would adorn Christmas stars – (most of the stars
were hand made of bamboo sticks and white and gold glazed paper) lights and
red poinsettias on the window sill. New lace curtains on windows , from the
1st week of December its was kuswar time . The Bandra Aunties would take
orders for marzipan and milkcream - kids helped in rolling out kulkuls-
beating up eggs and dough to make fruit cakes and take it at 5:00 am to the
Hearst Bakery – Making Kuswar was a family affair . We used to make Neuries
, Cookies, coconut toffee & fudge The talented Ladies made Marzapan of all
Shapes – my favourite was the Strawberry shape Marzapan There was such joy in
putting up a Christmas tree and making a crib , dotting it up with cotton as
snow with – sprouting methi seeds for grass on the crib A Crib on every
street had a Life size Nativity and the Parish Priest went on his rounds to
Judge the best and announce the winners - Greeting Cards hung in living rooms
and the - holly and tinsel decorated the doors. You Christmas Carols heard
on every street - –Everyone would make it home for the Christmas Holidays -
My favourite Carols - Jim Reeves -Silent Night and Bing Crosby’s White
Christmas - Not to forget Elvis’s Blue Christmas - In those days, we spent
hours buying cards at Cheap Jack and Hills Corner . Writing cards was a great
chore while Bandra Post Office did an excellent job to deliver and collect
their Bakshish . I still remember the mothers getting worried if the cards
were not written by early December – Christmas eve Hill Road was crowded with
last minute shoppers buying wrapping paper and last minute items Carol Singers
on foot from every Bandra Parish went house to house singing with Santa in
tow sometimes - , while children joined in the singing. Every building had a
children's Christmas party - Gifts were not big at those days – The nativity
scene was enacted every year help renew our faith and the true meaning of
Christmas .🤶and Marquis Pets Store became Hiltons Store Santa clause and
Bandra even had A Rudolf the Reindeer driven with sleigh from Marquis Pets
from opposite mount Carmel school to Hilton Stores and They would also take
the Children down the Hill Road - Oh you should have seen the joy on the
Children Faces Light up with Glee ! –Sunday school kids had a Christmas party
too . Damien Furniture on Hill Road dressed its windows and we all looked
forward to new clothes and shoes AT Christmas - Buying Cloth -which was
either Terry Cot or Terelyne from Variety Emporium and then rush to Bob’s ,
SS Dias or Gohel Tailors to get it time for Chritmas Eve - . I preferred
the frills dresses with a length that was mid way between a mini and a midi.
Midnight mass was beautiful – A slight nip in the air -and we would arrive
early to hear Rosey sing O Holy Night and the Saint Andrews Choir with Roley
-sounded heavenly - . Oh how adorable the Bandra girls looked all dressed up !
We would look at them from the corner of our eye – and make quiet approaches
to the Ladies Christmas morning Almost Every Resident would take part in
the Kuswar Exchange ( Even if you had a fight with Aunty or Uncle -you would
exchange Kuswar at Christmas ) - we would take a peak under the napkin to
check the shape of the Kulkuls Marzapan, Milk Cream and Coconut Sweets
Christmas Lunch was heavenly... fugias, sannas, Bakhri ,chicken shakuti ,
sorpotel, Roast, vindaloo, channa, yellow pea pulao ....accompanied with high
spirits - Old Monk Rum and Local Whisky and the Ladies would have sweet Wine
that they made themselves - During the Christmas week we would visit Mount
Mary Church and prayed to our Lady who adorned Gold and blue to protect us
Christmas Day – Big Dance at Bandra Gymkhana and for sometime there was dance
also Supari Talao Grounds Organised by the Late Municipal Councillor Vincy
D’mello - and some of the great Bombay – Beat Groups – like Savage
Encounter, Devika Rajbhans and Mudukar Chandra Das from – Alque Padamse’s -
Production of Jesus Christ Super Star -performed until t Sunrise – Today the
Police shuts down the Bandra Gym at 10:00 pm and I must admit its difficult to
get tickets – we have to settle with one of the Hotels which I must admit is
not much fun.That was my Nana and Nani's Bandra.
That was my Mom's and Dad's Bandra
That was my Aunts and Uncles Bandra.
And
To Everyone we called Aunty and Uncle.😀
That was my Bandra.❤️ Minaz
