Bharat Mata Temple

Situated in the ancient city of Haridwar, the Bharat Mata Temple stands as a testament to India’s collective spirit. Unlike other traditional shrines, the temple venerates Bharat Mata, or Mother India, symbolizing the nation’s ethos and unity. Along with architectural splendor and profound symbolism, Bharat Mata Temple beckons pilgrims from across the world to embark on a spiritual journey through India’s rich heritage.
Popularly known as Mother India Temple, the Bharat Mata temple, in Haridwar, was built by the famous Hindu Spiritual teacher ‘Swami Satyamitranand Giri’ to honor the sacrifices made by the freedom fighters. The Mandir is one of the most visited temples in Haridwar. It is dedicated to Bharat Mata by her devoted patriotic nationals.

Attraction

The temple consists of eight floors and is one of its own kind. It is an amazing multi-storied building and each of the floors has been dedicated to different Gods. Here the ‘mother India’ is the prime deity and is depicted with the national flag in her hand and a tri-colored sari adorning the idol. It represents the Unity in Diversity in India and the oneness of India. This Mandir is dedicated to Bharat Mata, its unity, its integrity, its values, and its rich heritage, without any barriers of caste, creed, race, language, area, or state and to spread nationality inspired and inculcated by the freedom fighters and martyrs of our beloved country.

History

This famous religious shrine was founded by ‘Swami Satyamitranand Giri’. In 1983, this temple was inaugurated by the Late Prime Minister, Smt. Indira Gandhi. As the conception of Bharat Mata predates the Partition of India, she is intended to represent “Aryavarta“, the motherland of ‘Hinduism’ in ‘Hindu Nationalism’, and the Bharat Mata remains a symbol of the ‘vision of a unified motherland’ in Hindu nationalist thought. Bharat Mata temples exist in the Mahatma Gandhi Kashi University, inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1936, and another in Haridwar built in 1983 by Vishwa Hindu Parishad shortly VHP.

Inside/Outside Views

Bharat Mata Temple is unique as it has an attractive and huge map of Mother India on the ground denoting the statue of the ‘mother of India’. The statue has an inimitable design that indicates the Goddess of India for all the religious deities, freedom fighters as well as leaders. The temple is a kind of admiration to all those who took part in the formation of India as it was built (before the partition of India). It is situated adjacent to the ashram and stands eight stories tall to the height of 180 feet. Each floor is devoted to a particular theme.
The 1st Floor is dedicated to Bharat Mata (Mother India) and has a statue of Bharat Mata. Abanindranath Tagore portrayed ‘Bharat Mata’ as a four-armed Hindu goddess wearing saffron-colored robes, holding a book, sheaves of rice, a mala, along a white cloth.

The 2nd-floor ‘Shoor Mandir’ is dedicated to the well-renowned heroes of India.
The 3rd-floor ‘Matru Mandir’ is dedicated to the achievements of India’s revered women such as Savitri, Meera Bai, Maitri etc.
The 4th floor featured ‘Sant Mandir’ portraying the great saints from various religions, including Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism. It is the Sant Mandir and features great saints of the Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism faiths.
The 5th floor is the Assembly Hall with walls depicting the symbolic coexistence of all religions practiced in India. There are paintings portraying history and beauty in various provinces of India situated on the fifth floor.
The 6th floor is for various forms of the Goddess of Shakti. It is dedicated to Goddess Shakti of the Hindu religion.
The 7th floor is devoted to all incarnations of Lord Vishnu, the preserver form of the holy Hindu Trinity.
The 8th Floor, the uppermost floor, features the shrine of Lord Shiva, the supreme god in Hindu tradition.

How to Reach

By road: The Bharat Mata Temple is situated in the Haridwar Bhupatwala area. From the busy area of Haridwar, Bharat Mata Temple is only 5 km away. Haridwar is well connected with other major cities of the country. And from Haridwar, you will get local transport to reach the site.

By air: The closest airport, ‘Jolly Grant Airport’, is only 25 kilometers away from this area which is in Dehradun. Apart from that, there are airports in Delhi or Lucknow to reach Dehradun by flight. From the airport, you can easily get local transport to reach the site.

By train: The closest railway station from the Bharat Mata Temple is 7 km away at the ‘Haridwar railway station’. From the station, you will get local transport.

Tips for Travellers