India's national song "Vande Mataram" marks its 150th anniversary today. Written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1875, the song went on to become a powerful symbol of India's freedom movement and national pride.
Originally penned in Sanskrit and Bengali, "Vande Mataram", which translates to "I bow to thee, Mother," first appeared in Chatterjee's 1882 novel "Anandamath." Over the years, then, during the struggle for independence, the song was sung at various political meetings and protests.
Later in 1937, the Congress adopted the first two verses of Vande Mataram as the national song.
Who was Bankim Chandra Chatterjee?
Born in June 1838 near Naihati in Bengal, Bankim was a novelist, poet and journalist. He studied at Hooghly Mohsin College and Presidency College, Kolkata, before graduating from Calcutta University in 1858. He was one of two candidates to become the school's first graduate.
After completing his education, Bankim joined the British Indian Civil Service and served as a Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector, later becoming the first Sub-divisional Magistrate of Arambag. He also earned a law degree in 1869. He retired from government service in 1891.
He got the inspiration for his first novel, Durgeshnandini, from the ruins of Gar Mandaran Fort. The novel, published in 1865, is considered the first modern Bengali romance novel and made him famous as a writer. Also known as the Sahitya Samrat in Bengali, Bankim wrote fourteen novels and many serious, serio-comic, satirical, scientific, and critical treatises in Bengali.
His novel Anandamath, published in 1882, introduced the song "Vande Mataram," which was later composed by Rabindranath Tagore and became a symbol of the freedom movement. First published in his magazine Bangadarshan, the song gained prominence during the Swadeshi movement, inspired by the partition of Bengal.
He was awarded the title of Rai Bahadur in 1891, a mark of honour given to distinguished officials, and later, in 1894, he was made a Companion of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire (CMEOIE), a prestigious award for service to the country.
