Vande Mataram @ 150: History, Writer, Significance & Important Facts

Vande Mataram is a special song for India. This literary hymn of Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay transformed into the strongest slogan of the Indian independence movement. In 2026, Indians will celebrate the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. This celebration will emphasize the role of the hymn in the process of Indian freedom movement and in Indian cultural history.

Origins of Vande Mataram

The creation of the song of Vande Mataram was mentioned in historical references provided by the Press Information Bureau. According to the sources, Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay composed Vande Mataram in 1875.

Later on, the song received more publicity when the author’s novel, Anandamath, was serialized in Bangadarshan in 1881.

Vande Mataram sings about devotion to the motherland and personifies the nation in terms of Bharat Mata. The song became popular owing to the connection between patriotism and the concept of the motherland.

Vande Mataram and Anandamath

According to the Anandamath novel, Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay describes ascetic warriors called Santans who strive to liberate the country.

The main idea of the novel is presented through the images of the three Mothers,

Mother That Was – India’s glorious past.
Mother That Is – India oppressed by colonialism.
Mother That Will Be – rejuvenated and victorious India.

Therefore, Vande Mataram became a synonym to the revival of India.

From a Song to a Nationalist Slogan

During the first decades of the twentieth century, Vande Mataram became more than a literary work and took on an increasingly nationalistic form.

It gained immense popularity and significance during the Swadeshi Movement and the anti-partition movement against the 1905 Partition of Bengal under Lord Curzon, becoming a slogan of protest in,

Boycott movements
Marches and processions
Meetings
Nationalist political actions
Anti-partition movements

One such example took place in 1906 in Barisal, where thousands of Hindus and Muslims took part in a procession chanting Vande Mataram, showing how early this nationalistic slogan had started to spread.

Prominent Nationalists and their Involvement in Vande Mataram

Some significant nationalists played a vital role in spreading Vande Mataram.

Rabindranath Tagore gave the song immense popularity when he sang it at the 1896 session of Indian National Congress in Calcutta.

Bipin Chandra Pal was also among those who popularised the song during the Swadeshi Movement.

Sri Aurobindo interpreted Vande Mataram as an expression of patriotic devotion and the fight for self-rule.

Attempts by British to Suppress Vande Mataram

The British authorities realised the power of the song to unite people and tried to suppress the use of the slogan in several ways.

These included,

Imposition of fines on students
Lathi-charges by police
Restriction of holding processions in public
Threats to expel students from institutions
Restriction on nationalist gatherings

In turn, chanting of Vande Mataram became an act of protest itself.

Vande Mataram in International Context

In 1907, freedom fighter Madame Bhikaji Cama unfurled an early version of Indian national flag at Stuttgart, Germany. The flag bore the phrase Vande Mataram making the slogan international along with giving the message that India is seeking her independence.

Vande Mataram and the Indian National Congress

The Indian National Congress has been significant in giving Vande Mataram its due place nationally.

1896 – Tagore’s Version

In 1896 during the session held in Calcutta, Rabindranath Tagore sang Vande Mataram. This gave the song the significance as one of the nationalist symbols.

1905 – Official Adoption

During the peak time of Swadeshi Movement in 1905, the Indian National Congress officially adopted Vande Mataram for their national meetings during the Banaras session.

1937 – First Two Stanzas

By the 1930s, controversy arose over the religious symbolism in the latter part of the song. The Muslims leaders were against the use of the song in its entirety because of the Hindu Goddess imagery in the latter part of the song.
In order to keep a united national movement, the Working Committee of the Congress in 1937 took a decision that only the first two stanzas will be sung in national events.

Vande Mataram and the Constituent Assembly

After independence, the symbols of the nation were discussed in the Constituent Assembly.

On 24 January 1950, the President of the Constituent Assembly Dr Rajendra Prasad announced that,

Jana Gana Mana will be the National Anthem of India.
Vande Mataram, in view of its historic contribution to the freedom movement, will be accorded equal status.

Importance of Vande Mataram?

The importance of Vande Mataram is not only limited to the fact that it is a song but is more to do with the following aspects that were expressed during the freedom struggle of the country through the song,