New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Friday said that ‘Vande Mataram’, India’s national song, continues to embody the emotional spirit and unity of the nation.
Marking the 150th anniversary of the iconic composition, the President urged citizens to take a pledge to keep the country “endowed with Sujala (pure water), Sufala (bountiful fruit), and Sukhda (happiness),” in the true spirit of the song. “Vande Mataram!” she wrote in a post on X in Hindi.
Recalling the origins of the song, President Murmu noted that Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay composed Vande Mataram in the 19th century during the backdrop of the Sannyasi rebellion against British rule. The song, she said, became a rallying cry for unity during the 1905 Swadeshi movement and has since remained a powerful symbol of national consciousness.
“Since then, this song of devotion to Mother India has been a proclamation of our people’s emotional unity — and it will continue to be so,” the President stated, adding that after Independence, the nation adopted it with reverence as the national song.
According to an official statement, November 7 marks 150 years since Vande Mataram — meaning “Mother, I bow to thee” — was first published in the literary journal Bangadarshan in 1875. Later, it was set to music by Rabindranath Tagore, becoming an enduring anthem that inspired generations of freedom fighters and remains a timeless emblem of India’s national identity and collective spirit.
