150 Years of Vande Mataram

Overview The year 2025 marks the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram , India's National Song, which translates to “Mother, I Bow to Thee”. This enduring anthem, composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee , has inspired generations of freedom fighters and stands as a lasting emblem of India’s national identity. First published in the literary journal Bangadarshan on 7 November 1875 , it was later incorporated into Chatterjee’s novel 'Anandamath' in 1882 and set to music by Rabindranath Tagore . This milestone presents an occasion to reaffirm the message of unity, sacrifice, and devotion that Vande Mataram embodies. Historical Background Understanding Vande Mataram's importance requires examining its historical origins, connecting literature, nationalism, and India’s fight for independence. The hymn's development from a poetic composition to a national song exemplifies India’s collective awakening against colonial dominance. The song was first published in 1875 , as corroborated by Sri Aurobindo in the English daily Bande Mataram on 16 April 1907 . Prior to its publication in book form, Anandamath was serialized in the Bengali monthly magazine Bangadarshan , of which Bankim was the founder editor. The song "Vande Mataram" appeared in the very first installment of the serialization of the novel in the March-April 1881 issue. In 1907 , Madam Bhikaji Cama raised the tricolor flag for the first time outside India in Stuttgart, Berlin , with the words Vande Mataram written on the flag. Ananda Math and the Religion of Patriotism The novel 'Ananda Math' revolves around a group of Sanyasins known as Santanas , who dedicate their lives to the cause of their motherland. They venerate the motherland personified as the mother goddess, with devotion solely to their land of birth. "Vande Mataram" is the song sung by the Santanas , symbolizing the "religion of patriotism" that is the central theme of Ananda Math . In their temple, they placed three images of the mother representing the motherland: Mother that was, great and glorious; Mother that is wretched; and Mother that will be, in her pristine glory. As Shri Aurobindo noted, "The Mother of his vision held trenchant steel in her twice seventy million hands and not the bowl of the mendicant." Bankim Chandra Chatterjee Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (1838–1894) , the author of Vande Mataram , was a prominent figure of 19th-century Bengal. He played a pivotal role in the intellectual and literary history of Bengal. As a novelist, poet, and essayist, his contributions significantly influenced the development of modern Bengali prose and the articulation of an emerging Indian nationalism. His notable works, including Anandamath (1882) , Durgeshnandini (1865) , Kapalkundala (1866) , and Devi Chaudhurani (1884) , reflect the social, cultural, and moral concerns of a colonized society striving for self-identity. The composition of Vande Mataram is recognized as a milestone in nationalist thought, symbolizing the synthesis 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 early nationalist movement. In Vande Mataram , he gave the country the vision of the motherland personified as the Mother. Vande Mataram - Song of Resistance In October 1905 , a Bande Mataram Sampradaya was founded in North Calcutta to promote the idea of the Motherland as a mission and a religious passion. Every Sunday, members went out in Prabhat Pheris , singing “Vande Mataram” and accepting voluntary contributions. Rabindranath Tagore sometimes joined these processions. On 20 May 1906 , in Barisal (now in Bangladesh), an unprecedented Vande Mataram procession took place, with over ten thousand participants marching through the streets carrying Vande Mataram flags. In August 1906 , an English daily titled Bande Mataram was launched under the editorship of Bipin Chandra Pal , with Sri Aurobindo later joining as joint editor. The newspaper became a powerful instrument of India’s awakening, spreading the message of self-reliance, unity, and political consciousness.