In a land where Shakti, the goddess and the female force is worshiped, it is not surprising that the land itself is celebrated as one. Bharat Mata or ‘Mother India’ is a potent symbol, title and war cry. But did you know that the very idea of a Bharat Mata as a deity to be venerated was born as the subcontinent faced a crisis when the British decided to partition Bengal along communal lines, in 1905. In fact, the first known actual representation of the idea of Bharat Mata comes with a painting by the Bengali master, Abanindranath Tagore, the nephew of poet Rabindranath Tagore. And the story behind it is fascinating.
In 1905, the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon decided to divide Bengal along religious lines - into Hindu and Muslim areas. This was a blatant attempt to use that famous British weapon of ‘Divide & Rule’, that managed to leave a scar for decades to come. In 1905, however, it was a major mistake. While the excuse the British used for the division was economic - by pointing that the ‘Muslim’ East Bengal was poor and so needed special attention, Indians saw this as a blatant attempt to divide the nation and the nationalist movement that was gaining momentum.
Abanindranath TagoreAbanindranath Tagore
Interestingly, the idea of ‘Bharat Mata’ first emerged out of Bengal. First espoused indirectly by poet Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s haunting ‘Bande Mataram’ composed in 1875, it made its way into his famous novel Anandmath in 1882. The novel was set in the backdrop of the Bengal famine of 1770 and was among the earliest works of fiction with an anti-colonial theme. In Anandmath, Bankim for the first time referred to the nation as ‘Mata’ or Mother, evoking the powerful force of the goddess and merging it with a deep love for the motherland. In 1905, as Bengal and with it the rest of India was caught in the grips of unrest, Bande Mataram became the slogan of nationalism.
It is said that the novel, the poem and the emotions it raised inspired the artist Abanindranath Tagore so much that he decided to give form to the idea and compose a painting which he titled ‘Bharat Mata’. In the land of Durga and Kali, Bharat Mata too was depicted as showing power and love. She was depicted as a four-armed Hindu goddess wearing saffron-colored robes, holding a book, sheaves of rice, a mala, and a white cloth.
Answers & Comments
In a land where Shakti, the goddess and the female force is worshiped, it is not surprising that the land itself is celebrated as one. Bharat Mata or ‘Mother India’ is a potent symbol, title and war cry. But did you know that the very idea of a Bharat Mata as a deity to be venerated was born as the subcontinent faced a crisis when the British decided to partition Bengal along communal lines, in 1905. In fact, the first known actual representation of the idea of Bharat Mata comes with a painting by the Bengali master, Abanindranath Tagore, the nephew of poet Rabindranath Tagore. And the story behind it is fascinating.
In 1905, the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon decided to divide Bengal along religious lines - into Hindu and Muslim areas. This was a blatant attempt to use that famous British weapon of ‘Divide & Rule’, that managed to leave a scar for decades to come. In 1905, however, it was a major mistake. While the excuse the British used for the division was economic - by pointing that the ‘Muslim’ East Bengal was poor and so needed special attention, Indians saw this as a blatant attempt to divide the nation and the nationalist movement that was gaining momentum.
Abanindranath TagoreAbanindranath Tagore
Interestingly, the idea of ‘Bharat Mata’ first emerged out of Bengal. First espoused indirectly by poet Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s haunting ‘Bande Mataram’ composed in 1875, it made its way into his famous novel Anandmath in 1882. The novel was set in the backdrop of the Bengal famine of 1770 and was among the earliest works of fiction with an anti-colonial theme. In Anandmath, Bankim for the first time referred to the nation as ‘Mata’ or Mother, evoking the powerful force of the goddess and merging it with a deep love for the motherland. In 1905, as Bengal and with it the rest of India was caught in the grips of unrest, Bande Mataram became the slogan of nationalism.
It is said that the novel, the poem and the emotions it raised inspired the artist Abanindranath Tagore so much that he decided to give form to the idea and compose a painting which he titled ‘Bharat Mata’. In the land of Durga and Kali, Bharat Mata too was depicted as showing power and love. She was depicted as a four-armed Hindu goddess wearing saffron-colored robes, holding a book, sheaves of rice, a mala, and a white cloth.
Sister Nivedita