• Indira Devi Velpula

Vandemataram was the whole nation’s thought and motto for freedom during independence movement. Nationalistic feelings and nationalism require an emotional platform from where and through which we can express our feelings for the country. Vandemataram was a mantra that gave by Bankim which managed to convert the whole people to the religion of patriotism overnight. There was a gradual change from rationalistic approach to the belief of overall development of individual in Bankim. He strongly believed and worked like Vivekananda and Aurobindo for fusion of eastern spiritualism and western materialism. In their opinion, this was the only answer to the multitudes of ills afflicting the Indian people. Bankim also believed like Aurobindo that science has only limited sphere to understand religion and spiritual truths. He was for the right to remarry of widows though he was not particularly in favour of social reforms at superficial level. He strongly believed that education would only be the solution for all social evils which included foreign economic exploitation, the poverty of the peasantry and oppression of women. Bankim came out in support of the ancient social system wherein everything harmoniously occupied its place facilitating a smooth run of social institutions in which individual was visualized as an ideal person performing his own dharma for the sake of social system. He said through his novel, Anand Math that self discipline along with moral strength and organizational training is essential for the liberation of the country which is even relevant now. The most important element of moral strength conveyed by him was the infusion of religious feeling into patriotic work. The universally recognized supreme service of Bankim to the nation lay in his providing a vision of the mother. It can be said with justification that the bare intellectual idea of the mother land in itself does not come as a driving force, the mere recognition of desirability of freedom is insufficient as an inspiring motive. But, he let the motherland reveal to the eye of the mind as something more than a stretch of earth or mass of individuals and let her take shape as a great divine and material power in a form of beauty that can dominate the mind and size the heart, the scenario is altered dramatically. With such an appeal, Bankim was become successful in giving birth to a patriotism that was capable of working miracles and saving nation from doom.

Vandemataram, Anand Math, Patriotism, miracles, Mother Land

"‘VANDEMATARAM’- A NATIONAL IDENTITY; BANKIM CHANDRA CHATTERJEE: SOCIAL & RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 6, page no.456-460, June-2018, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIRC006081.pdf

"‘VANDEMATARAM’- A NATIONAL IDENTITY; BANKIM CHANDRA CHATTERJEE: SOCIAL & RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 6, page no. pp456-460, June-2018, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIRC006081.pdf