Vande Mataram, India’s National Song, was played in full for the first time during the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort on Saturday.
The special moment took place during the 80th Independence Day celebrations led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The singing of Vande Mataram was followed by the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana. This year is particularly significant as India is marking 150 years of Vande Mataram.
As Prime Minister Modi unfurled the national flag from the Red Fort, a 21-gun salute was given as part of the ceremony. The salute was carried out by the 1721 Field Battery (Ceremonial) of the Indian Army using locally made 105 mm Light Field Guns.
Following the flag-hoisting ceremony, the Army band performed Vande Mataram at the historic venue.
The celebrations also included an aerial display by two Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force. The helicopters showered flower petals over the Red Fort as part of the ceremony.
One of the helicopters carried the national flag, while the other displayed a flag featuring Vande Mataram.
The playing of the National Song in full added a special touch to this year’s Independence Day celebrations, which also mark 150 years of Vande Mataram.
‘Vande Mataram’ was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1875 and later became one of the most powerful slogans of India’s freedom struggle.
The song was first published in the literary magazine Bangadarshan on November 7, 1875. Chatterjee later included it in his famous novel Anandamath, which was published in 1882.
The song was first sung publicly by Rabindranath Tagore at the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress in Calcutta, now known as Kolkata. Tagore also set the song to music.
During the freedom movement, ‘Vande Mataram’ gradually became a popular political slogan. According to a government note on the history of the song, the phrase was first used as a political slogan on August 7, 1905.
The song went on to become closely linked with India’s struggle for independence and inspired people during the national movement.
After Independence, the Constituent Assembly adopted ‘Vande Mataram’ as India’s National Song in 1950.
The government launched a year-long programme in November 2025 to mark 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’. The celebrations are being held to remember the song’s long history and its role in India’s freedom movement.
The 150th anniversary celebrations have brought renewed attention to the song, which remains an important part of India’s national heritage.