“Vande Mataram,” penned by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in the 1870s, first appeared in his nationalist novel Anandamath in 1882. It became a rallying cry during the Swadeshi movement, especially after Rabindranath Tagore sang it at a Congress session in 1896.

Inspired by colonial injustices - including a reputed personal insult by a British officer—Bankim’s emotional outpouring captured India’s longing for freedom. Early voices like Sri Aurobindo adopted the slogan for his nationalist journal, and the song’s resonance grew through mass recitation, marches, and defiance of British censorship.

In 1950, India’s Constituent Assembly declared the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram as the National Song, placing it on equal footing with the National Anthem. While some verses referencing Hindu goddesses stirred controversy, focusing on the first two stanzas allowed the song to serve as a unifying anthem.

Today, Vande Mataram continues to evoke goosebumps—a timeless tribute to our motherland and the sacrifices etched in India's journey to freedom.