Bharat Mata that is, Mother India, it is a personification of India as a mother goddess. She is usually depicted as a woman clad in an orange/saffron saree holding a flag. In a play by Kiran Chandra Bannerjee, Bhārat Mātā, was first performed in 1873.
The image of Bharatmata was an icon to create nationalist feeling in Indians during the freedom struggle.
Bharat Mata Temples In India-
At Varanasi-
The temple is located about 3 km west of Godaulia, outside the old city. It is situated in the Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth campus. The idol of Bharat Mata is built in marble and is a model of undivided India , depicting the mountains, plains and oceans.
It was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1936.
Mahatma Gandhi said, "I hope this temple, which will serve as a cosmopolitan platform for people of all religions, castes, and creeds including Harijans, will go a great way in promoting religious unity, peace, and love in the country’’
The most peculiar thing about the Bharat Mata Temple is that instead of the customary gods and goddesses, it houses a relief map of the whole of Indian subcontinent and Tibetan plateau, carved out of marble in three dimension. The map is said to be perfectly to scale both vertically and horizontally with mountains, rivers, plains and oceans and the holy tirthas (pilgrimage centers) all clearly visible.
The upper structure of the temple starts with five at the base and it converges into one at the top, symbolizing that this world of five elements has ultimately to merge with the Supreme.
At Haridwar-
Located in Sapt Sarovar near ashram at Haridwar, Bharat Mata Temple is a holy place of its own kind. Bharat Mata Mandir was founded by Swami Satyamitranand Giri. On 15th May 1983, the temple was inaugurated by Late Prime Minister, Smt. Indira Gandhi. Actually, Bharat Mata is the representation of India in the form of a mother goddess.
This eight-storied temple is tall to the approximate height of 180 feet. Elevators are installed in the temple to aid the pilgrims. Each storey of the temple is based on a particular theme, housing figures of many mythological legends, religious deities, freedom fighters and leaders. It is a kind of reverence to all those, who played a vital role in the formation of the country.
On the first floor, Statue of Bharat Mata adorns the hall, where the Goddess is holding a milk pot in one hand and stack of grain in the other hand. This floor also comprises a huge map of India on a raised platform The second floor is dedicated to Indian women and the holy wedlock of India . The third floor is known as 'Matru Mandir' that celebrates the achievements of honored women like Meera Bai, Savitri and Matiri etc. 'Sant Mandir' is the fourth floor that features great saints from different religions of India . The fifth floor has an assembly hall, where all the practicing religions in India , are represented in a harmonious manner on the walls. It also reveals the historical facts and paintings screening the natural beauty of India .
On the sixth floor, Goddess Shakti is represented in different forms like Durga, Parvati, Sati, Radha, Saraswati, Kali etc. The seventh floor is dedicated to all the incarnations and forms of Lord Vishnu including Ram, Krishna and Matsya etc. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the eighth floor offers a splendid view of the Himalayas and the whole complex of Sapt
Sarovar.