| Bharat Mata | |
|---|---|
 Bharat Mata byAbanindranath Tagore (1871–1951). | |
| Other names | Banga Mata,[1] Mother India |
| Animals | Lion |
| Symbols | Red or saffron-coloredsari, national flag,lotus,lion |
| Temples | Few temples in India, first inaugurated inVaranasi in 1936 byMahatma Gandhi |
Bharat Mata (Bhārat Mātā, Mother India inEnglish) is anational personification ofIndia (Bharat[2]) as amother goddess. Bharat Mata is commonly depicted dressed in a red orsaffron-colouredsari and in more contemporary iterations, holding anational flag; she sometimes stands on alotus and is accompanied by alion.[3]
The wordBharat Mata dates to late 19th centuryBengal in modern literature. She was popularised by theBengali language-novelAnandamath (1882), wherein she was depicted in a form inseparable from the Hindu goddessesDurga andKali. After the controversialdivision of Bengal province in 1905, she was highlighted during theboycott of British-made goods organized by SirSurendranath Bannerjee.[4] In numerous protest meetings, she was invoked in the rallying cryVande Mataram (I bow to the mother).
Bharat Mata was painted as a four-armed goddess byAbanindranath Tagore in 1904, in the style associated with theBengal School of Art, in a form derived from typical depictions of Hindu goddesses. This painting isdisplayed in theVictoria Memorial Museum inKolkata. By the late 19th century, maps of India produced by theBritish Raj, and based on theGreat Trigonometrical Survey, had become widely available. Over the background of a map, Bharat Mata was depicted on the cover of the poetSubramania Bharati'sTamil language-magazineVijaya in 1909. In the decades following, she appeared throughout India in popular art: in magazines, posters, and calendars, becoming a symbol ofIndian nationalism.
There are a handful of Bharat Mata temples in India. The first was inaugurated byMahatma Gandhi inVaranasi in 1936. The temple has a large marble relief map of India on its floor, but originally lacked amurti (divine image used for worship). On its wall is displayed a poem written for the inauguration by the nationalistHindi language-poetMaithili Sharan Gupt; it proclaims the temple to be open to allcastes and religions. Most visitors to the temple are foreign tourists.[5]Muslims andSikhs have opposed the chanting of her name, because inIslam andSikhism, God cannot be worshipped in human form.[6]
The image of Bharat Mata formed with theIndian independence movement of the late 19th century. A play byKiran Chandra Banerjee,Bharat Mata, was first performed in 1873. The play, set during the1770 Bengal famine, depicts a woman and her husband who go to the forest and encounter rebels. A priest takes them to a temple where they are shown Bharat Mata. Thus they are inspired and lead a rebellion which results in the defeat of the British.[7] TheManushi magazine story traces origin to a satirical workUnabimsa Purana orThe Nineteenth Purana byBhudeb Mukhopadhyay which was first published anonymously in 1866.[8]Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1882 wrote a novelAnandamath and introduced the hymn "Vande Mātaram",[9][10] which soon became the song of the emerging freedom movement in India. As the British Raj created cartographic shape of India through theGeological Survey of India, the Indian nationalist developed it into an icon of nationalism.[7]
In the 1920s, it became a more political image, sometimes including images ofMahatma Gandhi andBhagat Singh. TheTiranga flag was also started being included during this period. In 1930s, the image entered in religious practice. The Bharat Mata temple was built inVaranasi in 1936 by Shiv Prashad Gupt and was inaugurated by Mahatma G. This temple does not have any statuary but only a marble relief of the map of India.[8]Bipin Chandra Pal elaborated its meaning in idealizing and idealist terms, along with Hindu philosophical traditions and devotional practices. It represented an archaic spiritual essence, a transcendental idea of Universe as well as expressing Universal Hinduism and nationhood.[11]
Abanindranath Tagore portrayed Bharat Mata as a four-armedHindu goddess wearing saffron-colored robes, holding the manuscripts, sheaves of rice, amala, and a white cloth.[12] The image of Bharatmata 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 themotherland to her children.[13]
Indian Independence activistSubramania Bharati saw Bharat Mata as the land ofGanga. He identified Bharat Mata asMahadevi.[14] He also says that he has got theDarśana of Bharat Mata during his visit with his guruSister Nivedita.[citation needed].
In the bookEveryday Nationalism: Women of the Hindu Right in India, Kalyani Devaki Menon argues that"the vision of India as Bharat Mata has profound implications for the politics of Hindu nationalism" and that the depiction of India as a Hindu goddess implies that it is not just the patriotic but also the religious duty of all Hindus to participate in the nationalist struggle to defend the nation.[15] This association has caused controversy with devout Muslims, whose belief in theoneness of God keeps them from assigning divinity to any god other thanAllah.[16][17][18][19]
The mottoBharat Mata ki Jai ("Victory for Mother India") is used by theIndian Army.[20] In contemporary colloquial usage, however, the expression is analogous to "Long live Mother India" or "Salute to Mother India." (See alsoJai Hind.)
TheBharat Mata Temple is located in theMahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth campus inVaranasi.[21] The temple houses a marble idol of Bharat Mata along with a marble relief map of India.[21][22]
The Temple, a gift from the nationalistsShiv Prasad Gupta and Durga Prasad Khatri, was inaugurated byMahatma Gandhi in 1936.[21] Mahatma Gandhi said, "I hope this temple, which will serve as a cosmopolitan platform for people of all religions, castes, and creeds includingHarijans, will go a great way in promoting religious unity, peace, and love in the country."[23]
The temple was founded bySwami Satyamitranand on the banks of theGanges inHaridwar. It has 8 storeys and is 180 feet tall.[24] It was inaugurated byIndira Gandhi in 1983.[24] Floors are dedicated to mythological legends, religious deities, freedom fighters and leaders.[24]
The temple is located in Michael Nagar on Jessore Road, barely 2 km away from theKolkata Airport. Here, Bharat Mata is portrayed through the image of"JagattariniDurga". This was inaugurated on October 19, 2015 (Mahashashti Day of Durga Puja that year)[25] byKeshari Nath Tripathi, theGovernor of West Bengal. The initiative to build the temple, which has been namedJatiya Shaktipeeth, was taken by theSpiritual Society of India in order to mark the 140th anniversary of"Vande Mataram".
In July 2019, theChief Minister of Haryana,Manohar Lal Khattar, granted 5 acre land nearMahabharta-eraJyotisartirth to the"Bharat Mata Trust" of"JunaAkhara" to construct the next temple of Bharat Mata.[26]
Media related toBharat Mata at Wikimedia Commons