‘Vande Mataram Boosts the Nation’s Self-Confidence’: PM Modi Inaugurates Year-Long Celebration of the National Song

New Delhi – Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the year-long commemoration marking 150 years of India’s National Song Vande Mataram at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. Calling Vande Mataram a source of the nation’s self-confidence and unity, the Prime Minister said the timeless song continues to inspire generations of Indians.

To mark the occasion, PM Modi released a commemorative coin and postage stamp dedicated to Vande Mataram and visited an exhibition showcasing the song’s history and cultural significance. He was accompanied by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena.

The event formally launched a nationwide celebration that will run until November 7, 2026, honouring 150 years of the song penned by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1875.

Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Modi said, “Today, millions across the country are joining in this celebration. November 7 is a historic day — we are celebrating 150 years of Vande Mataram. This occasion will fill us with renewed inspiration and energy. Vande Mataram is not just a song; it is a mantra, a dream, and a resolution. It connects us to our history, boosts our self-confidence, and reminds us that no dream is impossible.”

He added, “The experience of singing Vande Mataram together is beyond words. This 150-year celebration will bring new energy and spirit to our nation. To commemorate the day, a special coin and stamp have been released.”

The Prime Minister also paid homage to freedom fighters, saying, “I bow to all who laid down their lives for our motherland. Every patriotic song has its own spirit, but the essence of Vande Mataram is ‘Bharat’ and ‘Maa Bharati’.”

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, in his address, highlighted the song’s historic significance. “Thousands who sacrificed their lives for India may have uttered Vande Mataram as their last words. As we mark 150 years of this immortal song, we must remember that if there is one spirit that can unite all Indians in the dream of a developed India, it is Vande Mataram. We are also launching a digital portal where citizens can share their own renditions of the song,” he said.

The celebrations featured a nationwide mass singing of Vande Mataram at 9:50 a.m., synchronised with the main event in Delhi, with enthusiastic participation from citizens across public spaces.

Composed on Akshaya Navami, November 7, 1875, Vande Mataram first appeared in Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s literary journal Bangadarshan as part of his iconic novel Anandamath. The song invokes the Motherland as a divine embodiment of strength, prosperity, and grace, capturing India’s awakening spirit of unity and national pride.

Sri Aurobindo, writing in 1907 in the newspaper Bande Mataram, noted that Bankim’s creation had become a spiritual anthem for an awakening nation: “When Bengal awoke from its long delusion, someone sang ‘Bande Mataram’ — and the people sought truth.”

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (1838–1894), one of Bengal’s foremost literary figures, played a defining role in shaping modern Indian thought. His words and vision gave voice to a rising sense of Indian nationalism and unity.

Over time, Vande Mataram became the anthem of India’s independence movement — a rallying cry that transcended regions and languages, embodying the country’s enduring devotion to freedom and its motherland.

With inputs from IANS