The Rashtrapati Bhawan sending out invites for a G20 dinner in the name of 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual 'President of India' has kicked off a big controversy. Many see it as a precursor to possible renaming of India as Bharat in the forthcoming special session of Parliament. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called it an attack on the “Union of States” while his colleague Shashi Tharoor hoped that the government would not be "so foolish as to completely dispense with “India”, which has incalculable brand value built up over centuries".
Reacting to the comments of the Congress leaders, BJP president JP Nadda remarked: "Why does the Congress has objection to every subject related to the honor and pride of the country? Why do those who do political tours in the name of Bharat Jodo and hate the slogan of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'?"
(Also read: India to be renamed 'Bharat'? Govt may bring resolution in Parliament's special session)
What is the official name?
To be sure, India has Bharat as its another official name. Yet, to change India's name to Bharat would require an amendment to Article 1 of the Indian Constitution which names the country. Article 1 begins with "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States", the foundational provision that establishes the Union of India.
Article 1 reads:
India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.
The States and the territories thereof shall be as specified in the First Schedule
The territory of India shall comprise —
(a) the territories of the States;
(b) the Union territories specified in the First Schedule; and
(c) such other territories as may be acquired.
The naming of the country was debated by the drafting committee of the constitution. Before the Constitutional Assembly in 1949, the country was known as Bharat, India, and Hindustan. While a good number of the drafting committee members preferred the old name, Bharat, many others favoured India. That's what led to the Constituent Assembly choosing both the names.
The origin and meaning of Bharat
The most popular reference to a geographical area being described as Bharat is in the Vishnu Purana: "Uttaram yat samudrasya, Himadreschaiva dakshinam, varsham tad Bharatam nama Bharati yatra santatih", meaning, the country that lies to the north of the ocean and to the south of the snowy mountains is called Bharata as there dwell the descendants of Bharat. In Hindu scriptures, Bharatvarsha is identified as part of a larger geographical entity called Jambudweepa.
Bharata, whose descendants were said to be living in a particular area in Vishnu Purana, is commonly thought to be King Bharata, the son of Dushyant and Shakuntala and an ancestor of Kauravas and Pandavas. That also explains the name of the 'Mahabharata' which chronicles the war between Bharata's descendants. In the Vedas, Bharata is the name of a tribe. King Sudasa of the Bharata tribe fights a war against the Puru tribe of which the Bharta tribe was a part. Later, Kuru dynasty emerged from the Bharata lineage in which King Bharata was born.
Just as there could be several mythological versions of the Bharata lineage, the meaning of the Bharata can also be interpreted in several ways. It could be from the root 'Bhr' which means to maintain or bear, or from 'Bha' which means light. The more popular meaning is associated with the root word meaning light which makes Bharata mean the one indulging in light, the shining one or the one that pursues light.
Needless to say, like a number of other phenomena in India, Bharata, the name, too has hoary roots and yet has been in prevalence till today. Though India, or certain parts of the subcontinent, had various other names such as Aryavrata and the ancient Meluha, Bharat is the most popular name for the subcontinent.
FAQs
According to the text, the term Bharat is from the king Bharata, who was the son of Dushyanta and Shakuntala and the term varsa means a division of the earth or a continent. The use of Bharat often has political overtones, appealing to a certain cultural conception of India.
What is the meaning of the word Bharat? ›
According to open-source information, Bharat, a Sanskrit word, literally translates into - 'to bear/ to carry' and means 'one who is in search of light/ knowledge'. India has been historically known as Bharat, which means 'one in search of light/ knowledge'.
How did ancient India get its name? ›
India is a country in South Asia whose name comes from the Indus River. The name 'Bharata' is used as a designation for the country in their constitution referencing the ancient mythological emperor, Bharata, whose story is told, in part, in the Indian epic Mahabharata.
Is India changing its name to Bharat? ›
There has been no confirmation that such a move is in the works, but members of the government and the ruling BJP have suggested that the name Bharat should take primacy over India. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological parent of the BJP, has always insisted on calling the country Bharat.
What is the meaning of bharata? ›
Bharata is the official Sanskrit name of the country, Bharata Ganarajya. The Sanskrit word Bharata describes Agni. This term has Sanskrit root bhr means “to bear/ to carry” i.e. “to be maintained” (of fire). It also means “One who is engaged in search of Knowledge”.
What is the meaning of the name India? ›
Origin:Latin. Other Origin(s):Sanskrit. Meaning:From India; From the Indus River. Along with connecting baby to the southern Asian country, India as a name actually stems from Latin and Sanskrit roots. The feminine title is derived from the Indus river, which flows through South and Central Asia.
What does Bharat literally mean? ›
BHARAT means “being maintained" in Sanskrit. This is one of the names of Agni, the Hindu god of fire, and is also the name of the brother of Rama in the Hindu epic the 'Ramayana'. It was also borne by a legendary king, the son of Dushyanta and Shakuntala.
What is the spiritual meaning of Bharat? ›
Universal spirit of Bharatiya culture: Bharat literally means 'those who are striving for illumination', i.e. 'highest human perfection', irrespective of any differences of race, nationality, religion, gender, caste, etc.
Does Bharat mean fire? ›
What is the origin of Bharat? The origin of the word has been attributed to various sources within India's long history. It could have been derived from the Sanskrit word, Bharata, which means fire, or have descended from the Indian king, Bharata, who is featured in Hindu mythology as an ancestor of the Hindu race.
What was India called before India? ›
Before the Constitutional Assembly in 1949, the country was known as Bharat, India, and Hindustan. While a good number of the drafting committee members preferred the old name, Bharat, many others favoured India. That's what led to the Constituent Assembly choosing both the names.
Answer: India Arya Varta, Tenjiku, Bharat, Hindustan, and Al-Hind are the five names. Bharat: Bharat word comes from 'Bharata,' the Sanskrit word.
What was India called in biblical times? ›
The term Hodu in Esther 1:1 is a biblical name of India, which is derived from the word Hindu, referring to the inhabitants of the Sindhu River of the Indo-Gangetic Plain.
Why did India called Bharat? ›
The name Bharat can go back to the time of the Great Emperor Bharata who is known as the initial conqueror of the whole subcontinent – India and the Republic of India. The great King Bharata was the son of Queen Shakuntala and King Dushyant. Thus, this was a brief about the name Bharat.
Is Bharat mentioned in the Constitution of India? ›
"India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States," says Article 1 of the Indian Constitution.
What is special in India? ›
Its natural wonders, artificial marvels, national parks, theme parks, etc., have made it a popular name for tourism. Further, it is a land famous for its diverse cultures and enchanting landscapes.
What is Bharat in Hindu? ›
Bharata (Sanskrit: भरत, romanized: Bharata) is a legendary emperor featured in Hindu literature. He is a member of the Chandravamsha dynasty, and becomes the Chakravarti (Chakra possessing emperor). He is regarded to be the ancestor of the Pandavas, the Kauravas, Brihadhrata, and Jarasandha.
What was India called in 1492? ›
In 1492 there was no country known as India. Instead that country was called Hindustan. I think that is closer to the truth that the Spanish padre that sailed with Columbus was so impressed with the innocence of the Natives he observed that he called them Los Ninos in Dios.
What do Indians call India? ›
While India is the most commonly used name for the country, it is often called Bharat and sometimes Hindustan by Indian officials and the public. Bharat is a Sanskrit term found in scriptures from around 2,000 years ago.
What is the Chinese name for India? ›
Tianzhu is the historical Chinese name for India. Tenjiku (meaning "heaven") is the obsolete Japanese word for ancient India, being the Japanese pronunciation of the archaic Chinese name for India, "Tianzhu". 'Aryavarta' means land of the noble people.
