Illustrator :Souren Roy 

ISBN : 81-7508-156-2 

Vol. No : 655 

Ananda Math is considered to be a milestone ion the history of modern fiction in India. It received such a wide acclaim in the late 19th Century that Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyaya, its author, was referred to as the Walter Scott of India. Translations appeared in Telegu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi and Urdu.In Ananda Math, Bankim Chandra portrayed vividly the life of a band of patriotic santaans (children) who had left their hearth and home for a the sake of their motherland. Mahendra, a young zamindar, leaves his drought-affected village for the nearby town but is taken captive by the soldiers. Bhavananda, a santaan, frees him and takes him to their secret hideout – Ananda Math. On his way, he speaks to Mahendra about the Mother, who is ‘Sujalam sufalam’ (with plenty of rivers and fruit). “You sing about a mother. Who is she?” asks Mahendra.“My land! I am her child – a santaan,” replies Bhavananda. He bemoans the fate of the mother in captivity. Before Mahendra reaches Ananda Math, he too is a convert and takes the vow to forsake his hearth and home for the Mother.Ananda Math was greatly instrumental in fostering militant nationalism in Bengal in the early 20th Century. Many young men of Bengal literally left their homes to join secret societies, emulating the example of the santaans. The song ‘Vande Mataram’ (I salute the Mother) sung by the santaans, echoed through millions of throats during the freedom movement and during the non-co-operation movement. Many braved the lathis of the British police force by chanting “Vande Mataram”.