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New Delhi, Nov 7 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the year-long celebrations of 150 years of India’s national song ‘Vande Mataram’ at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. Speaking at the program, he said that Vande Mataram boosts the confidence of the country and continues to inspire generations.
On this occasion, the Prime Minister released a commemorative stamp and coin dedicated to Vande Mataram. He also visited an exhibition organized on the theme of the national song.
PM Modi was also accompanied by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena.
The event formally marked the beginning of a year-long nationwide celebration to commemorate 150 years of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s classic work, which will continue till November 7, 2026. This song, which inspired India’s independence movement, still awakens national pride and unity.
Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Modi said, “Today lakhs of people from across the country have joined us. I wish them all with ‘Vande Mataram’. November 7 is a historic day; we are celebrating the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. This auspicious occasion will give us new inspiration and fill millions of Indians with new energy. To mark this moment in history, a special coin and postage stamp on Vande Mataram has been released today. Vande Mataram – This word is a mantra, an energy, a dream and a resolution. It connects us to our history and reminds us that there is no dream that we cannot fulfill.
He said, “The experience of mass singing of Vande Mataram is beyond words. Today, November 7, is a historic day as we celebrate 150 years of Maha Utsav. This celebration will bring new inspiration and energy. A special coin and postage stamp has been released to commemorate this day.”
The Prime Minister also paid tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for the country. He said, “I salute all those who laid down their lives for our motherland. I also congratulate all my fellow citizens. Every patriotic song has its own sentiment and message, but the central expression of Vande Mataram is ‘Bharat’ and ‘Maa Bharati’.”
Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, in his address, said, “Today, the entire nation is watching the mass singing of Vande Mataram. We are here to remember the song that contributed to the beginning of our freedom struggle. Thousands of people who sacrificed their lives would have said their last words Vande Mataram. As we complete 150 years of this iconic song, we must remember that if there is one sentiment that all Indians should share is the development of a developed India (Developed India) is Vande Mataram. Today, we are also launching a digital portal through which citizens can send their rendition of Vande Mataram.
The ceremony featured mass singing of the full version of Vande Mataram in public places across the country at around 9.50 am, with enthusiastic participation of citizens as the main event in Delhi coincided with the event.
The year 2025 is the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. The national song was composed on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Navami on November 7, 1875. It was first published in the literary magazine Bangadarshan as part of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s famous novel Anandamath.
Describing the motherland as the embodiment of power, prosperity and divinity, this song gave poetic expression to India’s awakened sense of unity and self-respect. It soon became an enduring symbol of devotion to the nation.
Historical records confirm that Vande Mataram was composed in 1875. Sri Aurobindo, writing in the English daily Bande Mataram on April 16, 1907, said that Bankim had written his famous song 32 years earlier. He observed that few people paid attention at that time, but when Bengal woke up from its long confusion, people sought the truth – and in that moment of awakening, someone sang “Bande Mataram”.
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (1838–1894), author of Vande Mataram, was one of the most prominent figures of 19th century Bengal. A novelist, poet and essayist, he played an important role in shaping modern Bengali prose and expressing the emerging spirit of Indian nationalism. His works reflect a deep intellectual and cultural engagement with the idea of India as a unified, spiritually vibrant nation.
Vande Mataram became a symbol of India’s struggle for independence, encompassing the collective aspiration for self-rule and the emotional connection between the people and their motherland. Initially popularized during the Swadeshi and anti-partition movements, it soon transcended regional and linguistic boundaries to serve as an anthem of national awakening.
–IANS
JK/DPB