Vande Mataram is a timeless anthem that binds every Indian to the spirit of our motherland” said Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, Vijender Gupta, while addressing the gathering during the 150th anniversary celebration of ‘Vande Mataram’ held at the Delhi Legislative Assembly today. The grand occasion featured the unveiling of a commemorative plaque engraved with the complete text of Vande Mataram and the illumination of the entire Assembly building in the tricolour, reflecting India’s unity and national pride.
Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, Vijender Gupta, said that the Commemorative Plaque of Vande Mataram unveiled at the Delhi Assembly has been installed so that every visitor is reminded of this immortal song and its profound contribution to India’s freedom and national consciousness. Recalling its origins, Shri Gupta shared how Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, a distinguished civil servant and visionary writer composed this eternal hymn on Ashwin Navami, November 7, 1875, inspired by the pain and humiliation he endured under colonial rule. He narrated how the song later found a place in Anandamath (1882), where the saints of the monastery embodied the religion of patriotism. The portrayal of three idols of Bharat Mata — one divine, one in distress, and one destined to rise again — symbolizes India’s timeless journey from subjugation to resurgence, he added.
Gupta further highlighted that Vande Mataram became the anthem of India’s freedom movement, first sung publicly by Rabindranath Tagore at the Congress session of 1896 and later echoing across the nation during the partition of Bengal in 1905. He said that the song inspired countless revolutionaries, from Bhagat Singh’s courtroom cry of “Bharat Mata ki Jai” to Madam Bhikaji Cama’s unfurling of the tricolour in Berlin, inscribed with the words Vande Mataram. He emphasized that this anthem transcends politics, religion, and region , “it belongs to 140 crore Indians, symbolizing our collective spirit, unity, and pride.”
Reflecting on the significance of the day, Gupta announced that the Delhi Legislative Assembly has been illuminated in the tricolour, representing the celebration of India’s unity and strength. A commemorative plaque engraved with the full text of Vande Mataram was also unveiled on the occasion. Urging every citizen to participate in the year-long 150 Years of Vande Mataram Commemoration, he said that people should share this moment as a pledge of unity and devotion to the nation. “Vande Mataram,” he concluded, “is a poetic embodiment of India’s strength, resilience, and divinity — a timeless anthem that continues to unite the heart and soul of our great nation.”
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