Anandamath (Bengali: আনন্দমঠ Anondomôţh; first English publication title: The Abbey of Bliss) is a Bengali novel, written by Bankim Chandra Chatterji 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.
आनन्दमठ
संन्यासी आंदोलन और बंगाल अकाल की पृष्ठभूमि पर लिखी गई बंकिम चंद्र चट्टोपाध्याय की कालजयी कृति आनन्दमठ सन 1882 ई. में छप कर आई। इस उपन्यास की क्रांतिकारी विचारधारा ने सामाजिक व राजनीतिक चेतना को जागृत करने का काम किया। इसी उपन्यास के एक गीत वंदेमातरम को बाद में राष्ट्रगीत का दर्जा प्राप्त हुआ।
आनन्दमठ में जिस काल खंड का वर्णन किया गया है वह हन्टर की ऐतिहासिक कृति एन्नल ऑफ रूरल बंगाल, ग्लेग की मेम्वाइर ऑफ द लाइफ ऑफ वारेन हेस्टिंग्स और उस समय के ऐतिहासिक दस्तावेज में शामिल तथ्यों में काफी समानता है।
"Anandmath" by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee is one of those books which can never fail to precipitate the feeling of nationalism in the mind of an Indian reader. The plot of the story, touches various segments of the pre-Independence India, whether it is the plight of the people during the Bengal Famine, where hunger turn humans to cannibals or the women's equal participation in the revolutionary activities along their husbands. The unjust tax policies had forced the people of Northern Bengal to agitate and then their agitation is elaborately symbolized in this book. The coming together of people and formation of a congress-ion to fight for their rights was given an interesting turn with the ascetic look and some radical behavior of the revolutionaries.
