“Vande Mataram” @150 inspiring Billions of Bharatiyas of all ages

PARTHA ROY, Kolkata: On the 150th anniversary of “Vande Mataram,” Bharat’s revered National Song, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi led nationwide celebrations on November 7 ,2025. Students, office workers, armed forces, activists, shopkeepers, housewives, monks, and others sang in unison. Embassies and cultural centres engaged the diaspora, while Navy and Coast Guards echoed it across seas, honoring Bharat Mata.

Today, Bharat echoes with the timeless strains of “Vande Mataram”, marking the 150th anniversary of its composition. Penned by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee on this very day in 1875, this Sanskritized Bengali hymn first appeared in the journal “Bangadarshan”. Legend has it that Bankim was inspired by a British officer’s taunt mocking his patriotism, defying colonial arrogance to craft a defiant ode to the motherland. It later became the clarion call of the freedom struggle, embodying the nation’s devotion to its motherland.

Bankim Chandra wove ” Vande Mataram ” into his 1882 novel “Anandamath”, a tale of Sannyasi rebellion against British rule. The poem’s vivid imagery – hailing India as a goddess with “temples, mansions, forests, and fields” – ignited cultural pride amid colonial subjugation. Alarmed by its seditious power, British authorities banned public recitations in schools and colleges, imposing fines and arrests on defiant singers, which only amplified its rebellious allure.

Its journey from literary gem to national symbol unfolded through pivotal milestones. In 1896, Rabindranath Tagore’s rendition at the Indian National Congress session in Calcutta marked its public debut, stirring early nationalist fervor. The song surged in 1905 during the Swadeshi Movement protesting Bengal’s partition, becoming a boycott anthem led by figures like Aurobindo Ghosh, who translated it into English. By 1907, it adorned Bhikaiji Cama’s tricolor flag, unfurled in Stuttgart as a precursor to India’s ensign.

The 1937 Lahore Congress session formalized its status, adopting the first two stanzas as the party’s hymn, outshining contenders like “Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata”. Post-independence, amid debates over its Hindu imagery, a truncated version was enshrined in the 1950 Constitution as India’s National Song, complementing “Jana Gana Mana” as the anthem.

Over 150 years, “Vande Mataram” has weathered controversies – from 1947 Constituent Assembly rows and British-era bans to 2006 centenary protests by minority groups issuing fatwas against it, and 2009 school mandates.Yet it remains a unifying force. “Vande Mataram” inspires more than a billion Bharatiyas, from urban elites to rural folks, transcending socio-economic, language, and cultural differences, and plays an important role in uniting Bharatiyas of all ages. It inspired revolutionaries, fueled Gandhi’s satyagraha, and today underscores cultural events, parliamentary oaths, and global diaspora gatherings. As we sing “Bharat Mata ki Jai,” this ode reminds us: in venerating the mother, we reclaim our soul. Its legacy endures, a beacon of resilience and reverence.