Bandel Church in Kolkata - Christianity

In a web-series on MIG TV that aims to present our viewers some of the oldest churches in India, here is the Bandel Church of West Bengal built in 1599 by the Portuguese, which is now known as the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary.
Portugal in the early 16th century invaded India and had colonies in various parts of the country, Goa being the epicentre. In the eastern parts of India, the Portuguese traders got the permission to settle a township from Mogul emperor Akbar in 1571. By 1598, there was a thick Portuguese settlement in Bengal, making Bandel a town 40 kilometres from Kolkata the epicentre. The Christian priests from Portugal started baptizing the local natives and it was in 1599 when the Bandel Church was first built.
The Bandel Basilica is located about 43 kilometres from Kolkata and can be reached by road or rail. The Basilica is hardly about fifteen minutes from the Bandel railway station. The Bandel church is now a heritage church that we thought of featuring in the series of the oldest churches in India as the Pope John Paul II declared this as a Minor Basilica in 1988. There are more such stories that can encapsulate a journey to this quaint little town by the banks of River Hooghli a peaceful as well as intriguing.