The Mount Poinsur Royal College in Borivali, Mumbai, was a historical educational institution established by Portuguese missionaries in the 16th or 17th century, serving as a center for the indigenous East Indian community. By 1909, as depicted in historical photographs, the site existed primarily as ruins and a religious hermitage, having been largely abandoned after the Portuguese era and subsequent Maratha invasions.
Key historical details include:
Founding: The college and adjacent Church of Our Lady of the Conception were built by Portuguese Franciscan missionaries, with Fr. Antonio do Porto buried on the site.
Revival: The Missionary Brothers of Paulus Moritz (Bros Paulus Moritz) restored the area in 1908, constructing a school, orphanage, and rectory south of the church to protect the hermitage.
Current Status: Today, the site is known for St. Francis of Assisi Church, Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church, and St. Francis School, located near the Mandapeshwar Caves in Borivali West.
Heritage: The knoll features seven small circular vaults reminiscent of European Sacromontes, originally used by Hindu ascetics and later by Franciscan monks.
