Interesting Facts about the National Song of India

National Song of India was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. ‘Vande Matram…’ as the lyrics of National Song of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India in 1950. The other interesting facts which are relevant to India’s National Song are mentioned in this article for the IAS Exam and other competitive examinations.

History of the National Song of India

The original version of Vande Matharam was written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay/Chatterjee.

Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay had an avid interest in recent events in Indian and Bengali history particularly the revolt of 1857 and the Sanyasi rebellion which had happened a century before. During his time as a government official in 1876, the colonial administration was trying to promote “God Save the Queen” as the national anthem of British India. Needless to say, the vast majority of the Indian nationalists were against such a move. Thus Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote a poem which would capture the rich cultural history of India while keeping its core identity intact.

He wrote Vande Mataram at Chinsura(Chuchura), there is a white colour house of Adhya Family near river Hooghly (near Mallik Ghat).

Chattopadhyay wrote the poem in a spontaneous session using words from Sanskrit and Bengali. The poem was published in Chattopadhyay’s book Anandamath (pronounced Anondomôţh in Bengali) in 1882, which is set in the events of the Sannyasi Rebellion. Jadunath Bhattacharya was asked to set a tune for this poem just after it was written.

The modern Vande Mataram composition, as hear it today, is credited to V. D. Paluskar, the founder of the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya and Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal.

On 24 January 1950, the Constituent Assembly of India has adopted “Vande Mataram” as a national song. On the occasion, the first President of India, Rajendra Prasad stated that the song should be honoured equally with the national anthem of India, “Jana Gana Mana”. However, the Constitution of India does not have any mention of “national song”.

Read about the National Symbols of India in the linked article:

Lyrics of the National Song

“Vande Mataram!

Sujalam, suphalam, malayaja shitalam,

Shasyashyamalam, Mataram!

Vande Mataram!

Shubhrajyotsna pulakitayaminim,

Phullakusumita drumadala shobhinim,

Suhasinim sumadhura bhashinim,

Sukhadam varadam, Mataram!

Vande Mataram, Vande Mataram!”

Facts about the National Song of India

1. The National song of India, Vande Mataram is considered as the foundation of encouragement to the people in their struggle for freedom. The National song of India is versed in the Sanskrit and Bengali languages by Bankim Chandra Chatterji.
2. The former President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, on January 24, 1950, came up with a declaration in the Constituent Assembly that the song Vande Mataram, which had played a significant part in the historic freedom struggle held in India, should be honoured equally with Jana Gana Mana and must give equal status with it.
3. The song was a part of Bankim Chandra Chatterji’s most famous novel Anand Math (1882) which is set in the events of Sannyasi rebellion.
4. The first translation of Bankim Chandra Chatterji’s novel Anand Math, comprising the poem Vande Mataram, into English was done by Nares Chandra Sen-Gupta, in 1906.
5. 1896 session of the Indian National Congress is the first political event when the National song was sung. The national song of India was first sung by the Rabindranath Tagore session on the same occasion.
6. In 1905, Poet Sarala Devi Chaudurani sang the national song in the Benares Congress Session.
7. From Lahore, Lala Lajpat Rai published a journal called Vande Mataram
8. In 1905, Vande Mataram was recited in the first political film made by Hiralal Sen

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