Sister Nivedita, an admirer of the painting, opined that the picture was refined and imaginative, with Bharatmata standing on green earth and blue sky behind her feet with four lotuses, four arms meaning divine power white halo and sincere eyes and gifts Shiksha-Diksha-Anna-Bastra of the motherland to her children. The image of Bharatmata was an icon to create nationalist feeling in Indians during the freedom struggle. Ībanindranath Tagore portrayed Bhārat Mātā as a four-armed Hindu goddess wearing saffron-colored robes, holding the manuscripts, sheaves of rice, a mala, and a white cloth. It represented an archaic spiritual essence, a transcendental idea of Universe as well as expressing Universal Hinduism and nationhood. Bipin Chandra Pal elaborated its meaning in idealizing and idealist terms, along with Hindu philosophical traditions and devotional practices. This temple does not have any statuary but only a marble relief of the map of India.

The Bharat Mata temple was built in Benaras in 1936 by Shiv Prashad Gupt and was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi. In 1930s, the image entered in religious practice. The Tiranga flag was also started being included during this period. In 1920s, it became more political image sometimes including images of Mahatma Gandhi and Bhagat Singh. As the British Raj created cartographic shape of India through the Geological Survey of India, the Indian nationalist developed it into an icon of nationalism. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1882 wrote a novel Anandamath and introduced the hymn ' Vande Mātaram', which soon became the song of the emerging freedom movement in India. The Manushi magazine story traces origin to a satirical work Unabimsa Purana or The Nineteenth Purana by Bhudeb Mukhopadhyay which was first published anonymously in 1866. Thus they are inspired and lead a rebellion which results in the defeat of the British. A priest takes them to a temple where they are shown Bharat Mata. The play, set during the 1770 Bengal famine, depicts a woman and her husband who go to the forest and encounter rebels. A play by Kiran Chandra Bannerjee, Bhārat Mātā, was first performed in 1873.

The image of Bhāratmātā formed with the Indian independence movement of the late 19th century. Bhārat Mātā as a concept was first perceived to be an image of the land of India prominently by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in his book Anand Math in 1880 and by Abanindranath Tagore through a 1905 painting. The concept of bhārat mātā as the personification of the Indian subcontinent came into existence starting in the late 19th century, especially after the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against the British. Cover of a 1909 issue of the Tamil magazine Vijaya showing 'Bharat Mata' (Mother India) with her diverse progeny and the rallying cry ' Vande Mataram”.

Bharath matha photos