THEMES OF WOMANHOOD IN THE ICON OF BHARAT MATA

The paper is an insightful history of Bharat Mata (Mother India) and attempts to explore its gradual evolution and significance in India's nationalist movement which was born out of the patriotic fervor of Indian nationalist leaders. The female portrayal was much more than presentation on a map because it was valued as a sacred entity by the people. This paper will try to analyze the cartographic features associated with Bharat Mata's figure: saree, lion, flag and others along with the metamorphization of the gentle ascetic figure of Bharat Mata into a warrior of ultra-nationalism and the different ways in which the icon is looked at by scholars.