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National Personification
Bharat Mata- National Personification of India
India’s national personification is denotes it to moth goddess as Bhārat Mātā or Mother India and or in other terms Bhāratāmbā to highlight it. The depiction is of one woman covered through saffron colored sari and keeps her flag along and in certain occasions a lion accompanies her.
History
It was during the country’s movement for independence in the late 19th century that Bhāratmātā image came into limelight. Kiran Chandra Bannerjee’s famous play named Bhārat Mātā was palyed in 1873 for the first time. In the meanwhile a novel by Bankim Chandra Chatterji named Anandamath introduced a new concept through "Vande Mātaram" hymn in 1882. This song emerged as prominent song in India’s freedom movement.
There was an insistence from Bipin Chandra Pal for further elaboration of its meaning especially through focusing on the idealist terminology idealization in line with the philosophical traditions prevailing in the Hindu faith for devotion and practices they follow. The ancient spiritual essence which it presented was a true mesmerizing of universal thinking in the context of Hinduism and developing nationalism spirit.
Portrayal of Bhārat Mātā by Abanindranath Tagore became historic milestone with goddess with the four arms and clad into saffron robes having a book, rice sheave, white cloths and mala symbolized an icon. It was awesome image Bharatmata which developed nationalistic spirit in citizens to come forward and participate in country’s struggle for freedom. One painting admirer, Sister Nivedita expressed views that the said painting explained more than what it would actually portrayed due to thorough imagination shown through it. This painting shows standing position of Bharatmata on green colored earth under the blue sky making its backdrop with four lotuses covering its feet which is worth noting. Its divine power is shown through four arms, sincere eyes and white nimbus. Equally is symbolic Shiksha-Diksha-Anna-Bastra gifts which this country as motherland offers to her children—the citizens.
Significance
Bhārat Mātā conception began in pre-partition era when this country was "Aryavarta" hence its arena is not limited to specific portion only. The impact of Hindu nationalism spread to wider areas in the entire motherland of India plus today’s two new countries carved out from it for a purpose to spread the Hindu nationalism concept. Present day secular Republic of India adopted Bhārat Mātā symbol by making it a point that visionary unified motherland concept is kept intact without ignoring Hindu nationalism being introduced while adopting this painting. Mahatma Gandhi Kashi University houses Bhārat Mātā Temple which Mahatma Gandhi himself had inaugurated in 1936. Another such temple is located in Haridwar city which Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) built in recent times in 1983. The then prime minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi had inaugurated that temple.
As India has been well depicted through the personification with a Hindu goddess it infers religious value and at the same juncture patriotism amongst the citizens. Such spirit worked to augur Indians to have their participation in a freedom struggle with powerful nationalistic spirit.
Indian Army and several Hindu organizations in the country support it through a motto “Bharat Mata ki Jai” which explains the victory for mother India to enhance patriotism further.
Bharat Mata Temples
At Varanasi
Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth campus in Varanasi accommodates this temple there. This temple has the Bharat Mata idol built from marbles so is the India’s relief map built from marble itself.
Mahatma Gandhi had inaugurated this temple in 1936 which had been gifted by the eminent nationalists Babu Shiv Prasad Gupta and Durga Prasad Khatri. Father of the Nation, Gandhi had expressed that said temple would work as an important stepping stone for composite cultural approach of India by it being a multicultural platform for citizens believing all faiths, creeds and castes so that best religious unity could be promoted for peaceful living as a country and pouring love and affection.
At Haridwar
Swami Satyamitranand Giri had built this temple in Haridwar at a strategic location on the Ganges River bank. Length of this 8 storey temple is 180 feet which the then prime minister Indira Gandhi inaugurated in 1983. Mythological legends, freedom fighters and religious deities have been dedicated temple floors.