Bharat Mata Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport (VNS) in Varanasi is the nearest airport.

• By train

  Varanasi Junction (BSB) is the nearest railway station, and Banaras, Pt. DDU Junction and Kashi stations are also in the city.

• By road

  Varanasi is well connected by national highways and expressways. Buses, taxis and self-drive options link the city.

Why devotees come here

Bharat Mata Temple in Varanasi is dedicated to Bharat Mata, a personification of India, and has no idol of a deity. Its main feature is a marble relief map of India, nearly 10 metres across, on the campus of Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith.

Bharat Mata Temple is dedicated to Bharat Mata, a personification of India. A marble statue of her stands in the temple, symbolising Akhand Bharat. The temple pays homage to everyone who took part in the freedom movement and gave their lives for the motherland.

Freedom fighter Babu Shiv Prasad Gupta built the temple, and his patriotism echoes in its stones. Mahatma Gandhi inaugurated it in 1936. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Vallabhbhai Patel also attended the inauguration. The temple stands on the campus of Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith and is built of stone.

The temple has no statues of gods and goddesses. Its main feature is a relief map of India, carved from the purest Makrana marble and stretching nearly 10 metres across. Open courtyards on each tier give views of the Ganga and its ghats.

Festivals

• Fifteen days after DiwaliDev Deepawali

  Across the city, thousands of lamps light the ghats, and their reflections shimmer on the Ganga.

• November to DecemberGanga Mahotsav

  A five-day music festival organised by the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department.

Tips for your visit

• Each tier of the temple has an open courtyard with views of the Ganga and its ghats.
• Ganga Aarti is held every evening at Dashashwamedh Ghat on the riverfront, if you want an evening on the Ganga.

Questions people ask