Bharat Mata Mandir
| Bharat Mata Mandir | |
|---|---|
भारत माता मंदिर | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Indian Nationalism |
| District | Varanasi |
| Deity | Bharat Mata |
| Festivals | Independence Day Republic Day |
| Location | |
| Location | Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith, Varanasi |
| State | Uttar Pradesh |
| Country | India |
Temple location on Varanasi district map | |
| Geographic coordinates | 25°19′02″N 82°59′21″E / 25.317209°N 82.989291°E |
| Architecture | |
| Creator | Babu Shiv Prasad Gupta |
| Completed | 1936 |
| Elevation | 83.67 m (275 ft) |
| Part of a series on |
| Hinduism |
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Bharat Mata Mandir (meaning "Mother India Temple") is located on the Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith campus in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. Instead of traditional statues of gods and goddesses, this temple has a huge map of Akhand Bharat carved in marble. This temple is dedicated to Bharat Mata and was originally the only one of its kind in the world, though a few others have now been built. The Bharat Mata Mandir was created by philanthropist and freedom fighter Shiv Prasad Gupta.
The temple was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1936. Gandhi said: "In this temple there are no statues of gods and goddesses. Here there is only a map of India raised on marble. I hope that this temple will take the form of a worldwide platform for all religions, along with Harijans, and of all castes and beliefs, and it would contribute to feelings of religious unity, peace and love in this country." Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Vallabhbhai Patel were also present at the inauguration.