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"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.

This book is a national treasure of India owing to its simplicity of story telling, the way it expresses the tale of Indian freedom struggle. The passion in the people depicted in the book is quite relatable to one exhibited during the freedom struggle. The book also highlights the sorry and devastated condition of the people during the Bengal Famine where the people had nothing to satisfy their hunger and all the riches possessed by people were merely a display of no actual use. The book states plight of people in the regions of famine hit poor India

The people were depressed to an extent that giving up their life seemed a better option than living a life full of despair. Just the mere love for family gave them the hope or reason to stay alive. The author also focused on the importance of celibacy to achieve the desired goals. To renounce the family bonding and focus on the goal is a necessity and the atonement for breaking this vow is only death penalty.

It was indeed a book that gave me immense understanding about life of people in India in those days. Bande Matram!