Vande Mataram: The song in search of a nation

First usage

The song Vande Mataram containing a mix of Bengali and Sanskrit words were probably written around 1876 and later incorporated in the Bankim Chandra novel 'Anandamath' that was serialized in a Kolkata publication in 1881-1882.

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Wikipedia

Fuelling the fight to freedom

During the following decade the two words 'Vande Mataram' caught on as a political slogan for freedom fighters.

It has remained widely popular and at the same time generated its own share of controversy.

Here is a sample of all that has happened over India’s national song over its 140-years plus history:

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YouTube

Bollywood's 'salaam' to Vande Mataram

There have been various versions of Vande Mataram sung in Bollywood songs. The most well known being one sung by Lata Mangeshkar in 1952 movie Anand Math, where the song was set to a new tune by Hemant Kumar and the one by A.R Rahman in his personalised 'Maa Tujhe Salaam' version.

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BCCL

Different versions of the song

Since Bankim himself was no musician, the poem has been scored countless times, using different ragas of Indian classical music by other musicians — with one report suggesting the first effort was even before Anandamath was published.

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BCCL

The Rabindranath Tagore Version

Tagore’s rendition in 1896 was a much slower-paced one than what we are used to hear now. This version in Tagore’s own voice was released on gramophone record in 1904 and is now available on various online platforms.

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YouTube

Invoking the Hindu goddesses

Due to the invocation to Hindu goddesses in its later stanzas and its setting within the novel Anandamath, that identified the Muslim ruling class as an enemy, Vande Mataram has faced objections right through India’s history.

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YouTube

Tagore's pick

Jana Gana Mana, which was finally chosen as India’s national anthem, was written and composed by Tagore himself and shares the status with Vande Mataram which is accorded the status of national song.

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YouTube

The Bose connect

Jana Gana Mana was also used as the national anthem of the Indian National Army that was led by Subhas Chandra Bose and in Captain Ram Singh Thakuri, the INA had a composer par excellence.

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YouTube