This celebration of Vande Mataram's 150th anniversary highlights the song's profound historical and cultural significance in the development of India's national identity. — Anil Tiwari

Whenever we think about the word "Vande Mataram", a sense of patriotism evokes in us, and we bow before the nation. It's the mantra by which the brave sons of the nation became immortal martyrs. They went to the gallows to liberate the country from British rule. It is not only a national song, but also the soul of the nation.

This year, November 7, 2025, marks the 150th anniversary of India's national song, Vande Mataram, which means "Mother, I salute you." This composition, as an immortal national anthem, has inspired countless generations of freedom fighters and nation-builders and is an enduring symbol of India's national identity and collective spirit. "Vande Mataram" was first published in the literary magazine Bangadarshan on November 7, 1875. Later, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee included it in his immortal novel Anandamath, published in 1882. Rabindranath Tagore composed it. It has become an integral part of the country's civilizational, political, and cultural consciousness. Celebrating this important occasion is an opportunity for all Indians to reaffirm the eternal message of unity, sacrifice, and devotion that Vande Mataram embodies.

To understand the significance of Vande Mataram, it is essential to understand its historical origins. It is a path that connects literature, nationalism, and India's freedom struggle. This hymn's journey from a poem to becoming a national song exemplifies India's collective awakening against colonial rule

The song was first published in 1875. This fact is confirmed by an article by Sri Aurobindo in the English daily Vande Mataram on April 16, 1907, which states that Bankim had composed his famous song 32 years earlier. He said that at that time, very few people had heard it, but in a moment of awakening from long-standing delusion, the people of Bengal sought the truth, and at that very moment someone sang “Vande Mataram.” Before being published as a book, Anandamath was serialized in the Bengali monthly magazine Bangadarshan, of which Bankim was the founding editor.

The song “Vande Mataram” appeared in the first installment of the novel's serial publication, in the March-April 1881 issue. In 1907, Madame Bhikaji Cama hoisted the tricolor flag outside India for the first time in Stuttgart, Berlin, with Vande Mataram inscribed on it.

The basic plot of the novel "Anand Math" revolves around a group of monks called Santans, literally "children," who dedicate their lives to their motherland. They worship the motherland as a Mother Goddess; their devotion is solely for their birthplace. "Vande Mataram" is a song sung by the Santans of Anand Math. 

It symbolized the "religion of patriotism," which was the central theme of Anand Math.“In his temple, he placed three statues of the Mother Motherland, representing her: the Mother, great and glorious in her grand glory; the Mother, now sad and lying in the dust; the Mother, who will be restored to her former glory in the future. In Sri Aurobindo's words, “The Mother of his imagination held not alms bowls but sharp swords in her 140 million hands.” Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (1838-1894), the author of Vande Mataram, was one of the most renowned figures of 19th-century Bengal. His notable works, including Anandamath (1882), Durgesh Nandini (1865), Kapalkundala (1866), and Devi Chaudharani (1884), reflect the social, cultural, and moral concerns of a subjugated society struggling for its identity.

Vande Mataram is considered a milestone in nationalist thought, symbolizing the combination of devotion to the motherland and spiritual idealism. Through his writings, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee not only enriched Bengali literature but also laid the foundational ideological principles for India's nascent nationalist movement. In Vande Mataram, he articulated a vision of the country, the motherland, as a mother.

In October 1905, a "Vande Mataram sect" was founded in North Calcutta to promote the motherland as a mission and a religious passion. Members of this sect would conduct morning processions every Sunday, singing "Vande Mataram" and collecting voluntary donations in support of the motherland. Rabindranath Tagore would sometimes participate in this sect's morning processions.

On May 20, 1906, an unprecedented Vande Mataram procession was held in Barisal (now in Bangladesh), with over ten thousand people participating. Both Hindus and Muslims marched through the city's main streets, carrying Vande Mataram flags.

In August 1906, an English daily called Vande Mataram was launched under the editorship of Bipin Chandra Pal, later joined by Sri Aurobindo as joint editor. Through its sharp and influential editorials, the newspaper became a powerful medium for awakening India, spreading the message of self-reliance, unity, and political consciousness to the people of India. Boldly propagating nationalism and inspiring young Indians to break free from the colonial yoke, Vande Mataram became a major platform for expressing nationalist thought and mobilizing public opinion.

Alarmed by the growing influence of Vande Mataram, both as a song and a slogan, the British government took drastic measures to curb its spread. The government of the newly formed East Bengal province issued circulars prohibiting the singing or recitation of Vande Mataram in schools and colleges. Educational institutions were threatened with de-recognition, and students participating in political movements were threatened with dismissal from government jobs.

In November 1905, 200 students at a school in Rangpur, Bengal, were fined 5 rupees each for singing Vande Mataram. In Rangpur, prominent leaders opposing Partition were instructed to serve as special constables and prevent the singing of Vande Mataram. In November 1906, Vande Mataram was chanted at a large gathering in Dhuliya (Maharashtra). In 1908, in Belgaum (Karnataka), on the day Lokmanya Tilak was being deported to Mandalay, Burma, police beat several boys and arrested others for singing Vande Mataram despite a verbal order against it.

The song "Vande Mataram" became a symbol of India's freedom struggle, embodying the collective desire for self-rule and the emotional connection between the people and their motherland. The song initially gained popularity during the Swadeshi and anti-partition movements and soon transcended regional boundaries to become the anthem of national awakening. From the streets of Bengal to the heart of Bombay and the plains of Punjab, "Vande Mataram" resonated as a symbol of resistance against colonial rule. British attempts to ban its singing further enhanced its patriotic significance, transforming it into a moral force that united people regardless of caste, religion, or language. Leaders, students, and revolutionaries drew inspiration from its verses, and it began to be sung at political meetings, demonstrations, and before going to jail. The composition not only inspired acts of resistance but also infused the movement with cultural pride and spiritual fervor, laying the emotional foundation for India's freedom struggle.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, "Vande Mataram" became the slogan of rising Indian nationalism. Rabindranath Tagore sang Vande Mataram at the 1896 Congress session. During the turbulent days of 1905, during the anti-partition and Swadeshi movements in Bengal, the appeal of the song and slogan Vande Mataram also became very powerful. At the Varanasi session of the Indian National Congress that same year, the song "Vande Mataram" was adopted for all-India occasions.

In April 1906, during the Bengal Provincial Conference in Barisal, in the newly formed East Bengal province, British rulers banned the public chanting of Vande Mataram and eventually banned the conference itself. Defying the order, the delegates continued to chant and faced heavy police repression.

In May 1907, in Lahore, a group of young protesters, defying colonial orders, marched and chanted Vande Mataram to condemn the arrest of Swadeshi leaders in Rawalpindi. This demonstration faced brutal police repression, yet the youth's fearless chanting reflected the growing spirit of resistance spreading across the country.

On February 27, 1908, nearly a thousand workers at the Coral Mills in Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu) went on strike in solidarity with the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company and against the repressive actions of the authorities. They marched through the streets late into the night, shouting "Vande Mataram" as a symbol of protest and patriotism.

In June 1908, during Lokmanya Tilak's trial, thousands gathered outside the Bombay Police Court and sang Vande Mataram in solidarity. Later, on June 21, 1914, Tilak was given a rousing welcome in Pune upon his release, and the crowd continued to chant Vande Mataram long after he had taken his place.

On August 17, 1909, when Madan Lal Dhingra was hanged in England, his last words before his execution were "Vande Mataram." In 1909, Indian patriots in Paris began publishing a magazine called "Vande Mataram" from Geneva. In October 1912, when Gopal Krishna Gokhale arrived in Cape Town, South Africa, he was greeted with a large procession of people chanting "Vande Mataram."

There was complete consensus in the Constituent Assembly on adopting both Jana Gana Mana and Vande Mataram as national symbols, and there was no debate on the issue. On 24 January 1950, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, while addressing the Constituent Assembly, said that due to its important role in the freedom movement, Vande Mataram should be given equal status and be equally respected as the national anthem Jana Gana Mana. He said, "One matter that remains to be discussed is the question of the national anthem. At one point, it was thought that this matter should be brought before the House and the House should pass a resolution to decide on it. However, it was felt that instead of making a formal decision through a resolution, it would be better to make a statement about the national anthem. Therefore, I am making this statement.

The composition consisting of words and music called Jana Gana Mana is the national anthem of India, in which the government can make changes to the words if necessary, and the song Vande Mataram, which played a historic role in India's freedom struggle, will be given equal respect and status to Jana Gana Mana. (Applause). I hope this will satisfy the members."

His statement was adopted, and Rabindranath Tagore's Jana Gana Mana was adopted as the national anthem of independent India, and Bankim's Vande Mataram was adopted as the national song, giving it equal status to Jana Gana Mana.

As the country celebrates 150 years of Vande Mataram, commemorative activities are being organized across India in an effort to honor the song's enduring legacy of unity, protest, and national pride. Institutions, cultural organizations, and educational centers are organizing seminars, exhibitions, musical performances, and public readings to revisit the song's historical and cultural significance.

Conclusion

This celebration of Vande Mataram's 150th anniversary highlights the song's profound historical and cultural significance in the development of India's national identity. Emerging from the intellectual and literary milieu of the late nineteenth century, Vande Mataram transcended its literary roots to become a powerful symbol of anti-colonial resistance and collective aspiration. This event not only reaffirms the enduring relevance of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's vision but also inspires fresh reflection on the song's role in shaping discourses of nationalism, unity, and cultural self-awareness in modern India.self-awareness in modern India.