Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the year-long commemoration of 150 years of India’s National Song Vande Mataram at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi on 7th November 2025. Calling it not merely a song but a mantra, an energy, and a dream, the Prime Minister said that Vande Mataram embodies the devotion and spiritual strength of Maa Bharati and has inspired generations through India’s freedom struggle and beyond.
Prime Minister released a commemorative coin and postage stamp to mark the occasion and addressed a gathering that included Union Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena, and Delhi Chief Minister Smt Rekha Gupta. He also launched the portal - “vandemataram150.in”, where citizens can upload their videos of singing the national song.
The Prime Minister recalled how Vande Mataram became the rallying cry of the independence movement- first sung by Rabindranath Tagore at the 1896 Calcutta Congress session and echoed in every major freedom struggle. He noted that the song gave Indians confidence in their identity and vision of a prosperous, self-reliant Bharat. Referring to its lines invoking the divinity of the motherland, Shri Modi said that Vande Mataram celebrates India’s eternal spirit, rooted in strength, knowledge, and compassion.
Reflecting on India’s recent progress- from scientific achievements to the rise as the world’s fifth-largest economy- PM Shri Narendra Modi said every milestone of New India resonates with the spirit of Vande Mataram. He urged citizens to draw inspiration from it as India advances toward becoming a developed nation by 2047 under the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
The program featured the grand concert “Vande Mataram: Naad Ekam, Roopam Anekam” witnessed by over 25,000 attendees, mass singing of the full version of Vande Mataram across the country, marking the beginning of a nationwide year-long celebration from 7th November 2025 to 7th November 2026. The event also showcased a dedicated exhibition exploring the history and journey of Vande Mataram. A key highlight of the exhibition was the display of vintage gramophones and records including the first ever recording of Vande Mataram in 1905 from the collection of the Center for Gramophone Studies.
Background:
Vande Mataram was written by Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay on Akshaya Navami, 7th November 1875, and first published in Bangadarshan as part of his novel Anandamath. The song personifies the motherland as the embodiment of strength, prosperity, and divinity, becoming a symbol of India’s unity and national pride.
