Vande Mataram (Hindi: वन्दे मातरम् Vande Mātaram, Bengali: Bônde Matorom) is the national song of India, distinct from the national anthem of India "Jana Gana Mana"। The song was composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in a mixture of Bengali and Sanskrit.
It is generally believed that the concept of Vande Mataram came to Bankim Chandra Chatterjee when he was still a government official under the British Raj। Around 1870, the British rulers of India had declared that singing of God Save the Queen would be mandatory. He wrote it in a spontaneous session using words from two languages he was expert in, Sanskrit and Bengali. However, the song was initially highly criticized for the difficulty in pronunciation of some of the words. The song first appeared in Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's book Anandamatha (pronounced Anondomôţh in Bengali), published in 1882 amid fears of a ban by British Raj. However, the song itself was actually written in 1876. Jadunath Bhattacharya set the tune for this song just after it was written.
The flag raised by Bhikaiji Cama in 1907"Vande Mataram" was the national cry for freedom from British oppression during the freedom movement. Large rallies, fermenting initially in Bengal, in the major metropolis of Calcutta, would work themselves up into a patriotic fervour by shouting the slogan "Vande Mataram," or "Hail to the Mother(land)!". The British, fearful of the potential danger of an incited Indian populace, at one point banned the utterance of the motto in public forums, and imprisoned many freedom fighters for disobeying the proscription. Rabindranath Tagore sang Vande Mataram in 1896 at the Calcutta Congress Session held at Beadon Square. Dakhina Charan Sen sang it five years later in 1901 at another session of the Congress at Calcutta. Poet Sarala Devi Chaudurani sang the song in the Benares Congress Session in 1905. Lala Lajpat Rai started a journal called Vande Mataram from Lahore. Hiralal Sen made India's first political film in 1905 which ended with the chant. Matangini Hazra's last words as she was shot to death by the Crown police were Vande Mataram
In 1907, Bhikaiji Cama (1861-1936) created the first version of India's national flag (the Tiranga) in Stuttgart, Germany in 1907. It had Vande Mataram written on it in the middle band
Regarding the song, Bankim Chandra noted almost prophetically,"I may not live to see its popularity, but this song will be sung by every Indian..." A number of lyrical and musical experiments have been done and many versions of the song have been created and released throughout the 20th century. Many of these versions have employed traditional South Asian classical ragas. Versions of the song have been visualized on celluloid in a number of films including Leader (film), Amar asha and Anandamath. It is widely believed that the tune set for All India Radio station version was composed by Ravi Shankar.To this day,Vande Mataram is seen as a national mantra describing the love of patriots for India.
वन्दे मातरम्सुजलां सुफलां मलयजशीतलाम्सस्य श्यामलां मातरम् शुभ्र ज्योत्स्ना पुलकित यामिनीम्फुल्ल कुसुमित द्रुमदलशोभिनीम्,सुहासिनीं सुमधुर भाषिणीम्सुखदां वरदां मातरम्
vande mātaramsujalāṃ suphalāṃ malayajaśītalāmsasya śyāmalāṃ mātaramśubhra jyotsnā pulakita yāminīmphulla kusumita drumadalaśobhinīmsuhāsinīṃ sumadhura bhāṣiṇīmsukhadāṃ varadāṃ mātaram.
Mother, I salute thee!Rich with thy hurrying streams,bright with orchard gleams,Cool with thy winds of delight,Green fields waving Mother of might,Mother free.
Glory of moonlight dreams,Over thy branches and lordly streams,Clad in thy blossoming trees,Mother, giver of easeLaughing low and sweet!Mother I kiss thy feet,Speaker sweet and low!Mother, to thee I bow.
Who hath said thou art weak in thy landsWhen swords flash out in seventy million handsAnd seventy million voices roarThy dreadful name from shore to shore?With many strengths who art mighty and stored,To thee I call Mother and Lord!Thou who saves, arise and save!To her I cry who ever her foe droveBack from plain and seaAnd shook herself free.
Thou art wisdom, thou art law,Thou art heart, our soul, our breathThough art love divine, the aweIn our hearts that conquers death.Thine the strength that nerves the arm,Thine the beauty, thine the charm.Every image made divineIn our temples is but thine.
Thou art Durga, Lady and Queen,With her hands that strike and herswords of sheen,Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned,And the Muse a hundred-toned,Pure and perfect without peer,Mother lend thine ear,Rich with thy hurrying streams,Bright with thy orchard gleems,Dark of hue O candid-fair
In thy soul, with jewelled hairAnd thy glorious smile divine,Loveliest of all earthly lands,Showering wealth from well-stored hands!Mother, mother mine!Mother sweet, I bow to thee,Mother great and free!
