♦ On 7 November 2025, India marks a historic cultural milestone, celebrating 150 years of its National Song, Vande Mataram—a hymn that has inspired generations with its message of devotion, unity, and patriotism.

♦ Composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee on November 7,1875, and was later incorporated into Anandamath, published in 1882.

♦ The song was first sung by Rabindranath Tagore at the 1896 Indian National Congress session in Calcutta.

♦ Its political significance emerged during the Swadeshi and anti-partition movements in Bengal, with the slogan Vande Mataram first raised publicly on August 7 1905 by thousands of students in Kolkata.

♦ The song’s appeal quickly spread beyond Bengal, becoming a unifying anthem for the burgeoning nationalist movement across India.

♦ In 1950, the Constituent Assembly of India officially recognized Vande Mataram as the National Song, honoring it alongside Jana Gana Mana, the National Anthem.