Anandamath
Title page of the second edition of the books
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| Author | Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay |
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| Original title | আনন্দমঠ |
| Translator | Julius J. Lipner |
| Country | India |
| Language | Bengali |
| Genre | Novel (Nationalist) |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press, USA |
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Publication date
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1882 |
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Published in English
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2005, 1941, 1906 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 336 pp |
Anandamath (Bengali: আনন্দমঠ Anondomôţh; first English publication title: The Abbey of Bliss) is a Bengali fiction, written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and published in 1882. Set in the background of the Sannyasi Rebellion in the late 18th century, it is considered one of the most important novels in the history of Bengali and Indian literature. Its importance is heightened by the fact that it became synonymous with the struggle for Indian independence from the British Empire. The novel was banned by the British. The ban was lifted later by the Government of India after independence.
The national song of India, Vande Mataram, was first published in this novel.
The book is set in 1771 during famine in Bengal (see Famine in India, for more information about famine in India under the British regime). Book starts with introduction to a couple- Mahendra and Kalyani, who are stuck at their village Padachina without food and water in the times of famine. They decide to leave their village and move to the next closest city where there is a better chance of survival. During the course of events, the couple got separated and Kalyani had to run through the forest with her infant, to avoid getting caught by man-hunters. After a long chase, she loses consciousness at the bank of a river. A Hindu monk, Satyananda, stumbles upon her and the baby, and takes care of her till she reunites with her husband again.
Mahendra at this point is more inclined towards joining the brotherhood of the monks and serving the Mother Nation. Kalyani wants to help him in attaining his dreams by trying to kill herself, thereby relieving him of worldly duties. At this point, Satyananda joins her but before he can help her, he is arrested by the British soldiers, because other monks were fuelling revolt against the British rule. While being dragged away he spots another monk who is not wearing his distinctive robes and sings,
"In mild breeze, by the bank of the river,
In the forest, resides a respectable lady."
The other monk deciphers the song, rescues Kalyani and the baby, taking them to a rebel monk hideout. Concurrently, Kalyani's husband, Mahendra, is also given shelter by the monks, and they are reunited. The leader of the rebels shows Mahendra the three faces of Bharat-Mata (Mother India) as three goddess idols being worshipped in three consecutive rooms:
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Wikipedia