Historical PeriodEra
Varies by tradition
š· Government of India Ā· Public domain Ā· source
Deities
BhÄrat MÄtÄ Mandir
BhÄrat MÄtÄ ā the personification of the nation
BhÄrat MÄtÄ ā the personification of the nation
Hindu / Modern / Bharat Mata
The BhÄrat MÄtÄ Mandir (inaugurated 1983) at Haridwar is an 8-story temple dedicated to Mother India. Each floor represents an aspect of India: BhÄrat MÄtÄ at the top; patriots, MahatmÄ Gandhi, great women, freedom fighters, spiritual masters on lower floors. The concept of BhÄrat MÄtÄ entered Bengali literature in Änandamaį¹h (1882) by Bankim Chandra. She is associated with the national song Vande MÄtaraį¹. BhÄrat MÄtÄ worship is a modern phenomenon but draws ~5 lakh pilgrims annually ā including school children on educational trips.
India's sacred landscape embraces all faith-traditions ā Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Jewish, Zoroastrian, tribal, regional-folk ā each with its own cosmology. This entry honors Hindu on its own terms.
