Bharat Mata
Encyclopedia
Bhārat Mātā Mother India, or Bhāratāmbā (from अंबा ambā 'mother') is the national personification
of India
as a mother goddess
. She is usually depicted as a woman clad in a saffron
sari
holding a flag
, and sometimes accompanied by a lion
.
of the late 19th century. A play by Kiran Chandra Bandyopadhyay, Bhārat Mātā, was first performed in 1873.
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's 1882 novel Anandamath
introduced the hymn "Vande Mātaram
", which soon became the song of the emerging freedom movement in India.
Bipin Chandra Pal
insisted that elaborated its meaning in idealizing and idealist terms, along with Hindu philosophical traditions and devotional practices. It represented an archaic spiritual essence, a transcedental idea of Universe as well as expressing Universal Hinduism and nationhood.
Abanindranath Tagore
portrayed Bhārat Mātā as a four-armed Hindu goddess wearing saffron-colored robes, holding a book, sheaves of rice, a mala, and a white cloth.The image of Bharatmatha was an icon to create nationalist feeling in Indians during the freedom struggle. Sister Nivedita
, an admirer of the painting, opined that the picture was refined and imaginative, with Bharatmata standing on green earth and blue sky behind her; feet with four lotuses, four arms meaning divine power; white halo and sincere eyes; and gifts Shiksha-Diksha-Anna-Bastra of motherland to her children.
, she is intended to represent "Aryavarta
", the motherland of Hinduism
in Hindu nationalism
, not merely restricted to the secular Republic of India, and Bhārat Mātā remains a symbol of the "vision of a unified motherland" in Hindu nationalist thought.
A Bhārat Mātā temple in Haridwar
was built by in 1983 by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).
The depiction of India as a Hindu goddess implies that it is not just the patriotic but also the religious duty of all Indians to participate in the nationalist struggle to defend the nation.
The motto Bharat Mata ki Jai’ ("Victory for Mother India") is used by various Hindu organizations and by the Indian Army
.
campus
, Varanasi
.
The idol of Bharat Mata is built in marble and is a model of undivided India, depicting the mountains, plains and oceans. The temple also houses a relief map of India
, carved out of marble
.
It was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi
in 1936. The Temple was gifted by the nationalists Babu Shiv Prasad Gupta (later awarded Bharat Ratna
) and shri Durga Prasad Khatri, leading numismatists and antiquarians. Mahatma Gandhi said, "I hope this temple, which will serve as a cosmopolitan platform for people of all religions, castes, and creeds including Harijan
s, will go a great way in promoting religious unity, peace, and love in the country."
. It is 8 storeyed and 180 feet high.
It was inaugurated by Indira Gandhi
, the former Prime Minister
of India, in 1983.
Floors are dedicated to mythological legends, religious deities, freedom fighters and leaders. The first floor has a statue of the Bharatmata stands along with freedom fighters including Subhash Chandra Bose
, Veer Savarkar, Mahatma Gandhi
, Chatrapati Shivaji, Guru Govind Singh, Rani of Jhansi and more. The second floor is dedicated to Indian women and the holy wedlock of India. The 3rd floor is dedicated to Indian philosophy and the concept of sainthood. The 4th floor showcases displays co-existence of various religions. The 5th floor is dedicated to female shakti through Goddess as mother and as the savior from the perils. The 6th floor is dedicated to the incarnations of the Hindu God, Vishnu
. The 7th floor is dedicated to Lord Shiva
in his various manifestations. The 8th floor or top floor has a Kalasha that shines in the sunlight.
National personification
A national personification is an anthropomorphization of a nation or its people; it can appear in both editorial cartoons and propaganda.Some early personifications in the Western world tended to be national manifestations of the majestic wisdom and war goddess Minerva/Athena, and often took the...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
as a mother goddess
Mother goddess
Mother goddess is a term used to refer to a goddess who represents motherhood, fertility, creation or embodies the bounty of the Earth. When equated with the Earth or the natural world such goddesses are sometimes referred to as Mother Earth or as the Earth Mother.Many different goddesses have...
. She is usually depicted as a woman clad in a saffron
Saffron (color)
Saffron is a color that is a tone of golden yellow resembling the color of the tip of the saffron crocus thread, from which the spice saffron is derived.The first recorded use of saffron as a color name in English was in 1200...
sari
Sari
A sari or sareeThe name of the garment in various regional languages include: , , , , , , , , , , , , , is a strip of unstitched cloth, worn by females, ranging from four to nine metres in length that is draped over the body in various styles. It is popular in India, Bangladesh, Nepal,...
holding a flag
Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...
, and sometimes accompanied by a lion
Asiatic Lion
The Asiatic lion also known as the Indian lion, Persian lion and Eurasian Lion is a subspecies of lion. The only place in the wild where the lion is found is in the Gir Forest of Gujarat, India...
.
Historic perspective
The image of Bhāratmātā formed with the Indian independence movementIndian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
of the late 19th century. A play by Kiran Chandra Bandyopadhyay, Bhārat Mātā, was first performed in 1873.
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's 1882 novel Anandamath
Anandamath
Anandamath is a Bengali novel, written by Bankim Chandra Chatterji and published in 1882. Set in the background of the Sannyasi Rebellion in the late 18th century, it is considered one of the most important novels in the history of Bengali and Indian literature...
introduced the hymn "Vande Mātaram
Vande Mataram
Vande Mataram is a poem from the famed novel Anandamath which was written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1882. It was written in Bengali and Sanskrit....
", which soon became the song of the emerging freedom movement in India.
Bipin Chandra Pal
Bipin Chandra Pal
Bipin Chandra Pal was an Indian nationalist. He was among the triumvirate of Lal Bal Pal.-Early life and background:...
insisted that elaborated its meaning in idealizing and idealist terms, along with Hindu philosophical traditions and devotional practices. It represented an archaic spiritual essence, a transcedental idea of Universe as well as expressing Universal Hinduism and nationhood.
Abanindranath Tagore
Abanindranath Tagore
Abanindranath Tagore was the principal artist of the Bengal school and the first major exponent of swadeshi values in Indian art. He was also a noted writer, particularly for children...
portrayed Bhārat Mātā as a four-armed Hindu goddess wearing saffron-colored robes, holding a book, sheaves of rice, a mala, and a white cloth.The image of Bharatmatha was an icon to create nationalist feeling in Indians during the freedom struggle. Sister Nivedita
Sister Nivedita
- A benediction to Sister Nivedita by Swami Vivekananda Sister Nivedita ; ; , born as Margaret Elizabeth Noble, was a Scots-Irish social worker, author, teacher and disciple of Swami Vivekananda. She met Vivekananda in 1895 in London and travelled to Calcutta, India in 1898...
, an admirer of the painting, opined that the picture was refined and imaginative, with Bharatmata standing on green earth and blue sky behind her; feet with four lotuses, four arms meaning divine power; white halo and sincere eyes; and gifts Shiksha-Diksha-Anna-Bastra of motherland to her children.
Significance
As the conception of Bhārat Mātā predates The partition of IndiaPartition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
, she is intended to represent "Aryavarta
Aryavarta
Āryāvarta is a name for Northern India in classical Sanskrit literature. The Manu Smriti gives the name to "the tract between the Himalaya and the Vindhya ranges, from the eastern to the Western Sea"....
", the motherland of Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
in Hindu nationalism
Hindu nationalism
Hindu nationalism has been collectively referred to as the expressions of social and political thought, based on the native spiritual and cultural traditions of historical India...
, not merely restricted to the secular Republic of India, and Bhārat Mātā remains a symbol of the "vision of a unified motherland" in Hindu nationalist thought.
A Bhārat Mātā temple in Haridwar
Haridwar
Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
was built by in 1983 by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).
The depiction of India as a Hindu goddess implies that it is not just the patriotic but also the religious duty of all Indians to participate in the nationalist struggle to defend the nation.
The motto Bharat Mata ki Jai’ ("Victory for Mother India") is used by various Hindu organizations and by the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
.
At Varanasi
The temple is located in the Mahatma Gandhi Kashi VidyapeethMahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth
Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith is a public university located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is administered under the state legislature of the government of Uttar Pradesh. The university has more than 227 affiliated colleges spread over six districts of Uttar Pradesh and lakhs of students...
campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
, Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
.
The idol of Bharat Mata is built in marble and is a model of undivided India, depicting the mountains, plains and oceans. The temple also houses a relief map of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, carved out of marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
.
It was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
in 1936. The Temple was gifted by the nationalists Babu Shiv Prasad Gupta (later awarded Bharat Ratna
Bharat Ratna
Bharat Ratna is the Republic of India's highest civilian award, awarded for the highest degrees of national service. This service includes artistic, literary, and scientific achievements, as well as "recognition of public service of the highest order." Unlike knights, holders of the Bharat Ratna...
) and shri Durga Prasad Khatri, leading numismatists and antiquarians. Mahatma Gandhi said, "I hope this temple, which will serve as a cosmopolitan platform for people of all religions, castes, and creeds including Harijan
Harijan
Harijan was a term used by Gandhi for Dalits. Gandhi said it was wrong to call people 'untouchable', and called them Harijans, which means children of God...
s, will go a great way in promoting religious unity, peace, and love in the country."
At Haridwar
The temple was founded by Swami Satyamitranand Giri, on the banks of the Ganga in HaridwarHaridwar
Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
. It is 8 storeyed and 180 feet high.
It was inaugurated by Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
, the former Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of India, in 1983.
Floors are dedicated to mythological legends, religious deities, freedom fighters and leaders. The first floor has a statue of the Bharatmata stands along with freedom fighters including Subhash Chandra Bose
Subhash Chandra Bose
Subhas Chandra Bose known by name Netaji was an Indian revolutionary who led an Indian national political and military force against Britain and the Western powers during World War II. Bose was one of the most prominent leaders in the Indian independence movement and is a legendary figure in...
, Veer Savarkar, Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
, Chatrapati Shivaji, Guru Govind Singh, Rani of Jhansi and more. The second floor is dedicated to Indian women and the holy wedlock of India. The 3rd floor is dedicated to Indian philosophy and the concept of sainthood. The 4th floor showcases displays co-existence of various religions. The 5th floor is dedicated to female shakti through Goddess as mother and as the savior from the perils. The 6th floor is dedicated to the incarnations of the Hindu God, Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
. The 7th floor is dedicated to Lord Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
in his various manifestations. The 8th floor or top floor has a Kalasha that shines in the sunlight.
External links
- Patriotic fervour The Hindu, August 17, 2003.
- The life and times of Bharat Mata Sadan Jha, Manushi, Issue 142.
- Bharat Mata Images Prof. Pritchett, Columbia University