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Bandel, famous for its oldest church is around 43 km from Kolkata. The Portuguese Basilica was built in 1660 by Gomez de Soto. The Bandel Church was among the first public buildings to be erected by the East India Company after Kolkata became the effective capital of British India.
About Bandel Church in Kolkata West Bengal :
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.
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 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.
