Bharat Mata: ek tasveer, ek desh ki yaad

Bharat Mata ka khayal India mein achanak nahi aaya, dheere-dheere bana. Maa ka roop isliye chuna gaya kyunki maa nurturer bhi hoti hai, raksha bhi karti hai, aur apne bachchon ko jod ke rakhti hai. Yahi baat desh ke saath bhi jodi gayi. Alag deshon mein bhi aise symbols milte hain — kahin liberty ka chehra, kahin justice ki murti, kahin victory ki devi. Matlab, insaan apne values ko ek pehchani hui shakl mein dekhna chahta hai. India mein 1857 ke baad ek saath desh sochne ki feeling aur mazboot hui. Phir kalakaron ne Bharat Mata ko alag-alag roop mein dekha: kabhi kisan aur ma ke roop mein, kabhi shakti aur swadesh ki nishani ke roop mein. Abanindranath Tagore ki soch is safar mein bahut yaad ki jaati hai, kyunki usne Bharat ko ek jeeti-jaagti bhavna bana diya. Aaj bhi ye tasveer isliye tikki hui hai kyunki ye sirf deewar par latki kala nahi, ek saath jeene ka ishara hai. Ghani sachi baat ye hai: desh ko yaad rakhne ke liye kabhi-kabhi ek maa jaisi tasveer hi kaafi hoti hai.