How Anandmath shaped the patriotic cry of Vande Mataram in India

In Anandamath, the main story follows a band of Sanyasins called the Santans, meaning 'children', who dedicate their lives to serving their motherland. They worship the land as a mother goddess and sing 'Vande Mataram' as their sacred call. Their temple holds three images of mother, past, present and future, symbolising India's fall and hoped-for rise, as Aurobindo described.