Bhārat Mātā

Bharat Mata (Bhārat Mātā, Mother India) is a national personification of India as a mother goddess. She is commonly depicted dressed in a red or saffron-coloured sari and in more contemporary iterations, holding a national flag; she sometimes stands on a lotus and is accompanied by a lion.

The term Bharat Mata dates to late 19th century Bengal in modern literature. She was popularised by the Bengali language-novel Anandamath (1882), wherein she was depicted in a form inseparable from the Hindu goddesses Durga and Kali. After the controversial division of Bengal province in 1905, she was highlighted during the boycott of British-made goods organized by Surendranath Bannerjee. In numerous protest meetings, she was invoked in the rallying cry Vande Mataram (I bow to the mother).