PM Modi launches 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’, releases commemorative stamp and coin
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the year-long nationwide commemoration marking 150 years of India’s National Song, “Vande Mataram”, at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in the national capital.
To mark the historic occasion, the Prime Minister released a commemorative coin and postage stamp dedicated to “Vande Mataram”, which was composed by Bankimchandra Chatterji in 1875.
Addressing the gathering, PM Modi said the words “Vande Mataram” embody a timeless energy that unites and empowers the nation.
“The word ‘Vande Mataram’ fills our present with self-confidence and gives us the courage to believe that no goal is beyond our reach,” he said. Calling the 150th year “a moment of new inspiration”, the Prime Minister said,
“The main emotion of ‘Vande Mataram’ is Bharat, Maa Bharati. India as a nation emerged as a gem that endured every blow of the past and still achieved immortality.”
#WATCH | Delhi | At the event commemoration 150 years of National Song 'Vande Mataram' PM Modi says, "...The main emotion of 'Vande Mataram' is Bharat, Maa Bharati... Bharat ek rashtra ke roop mein wo kundan ban kar ubhra jo ateet ki har chot sehta raha aur sehkar bhi amaratva ko… pic.twitter.com/ldIIVNbspC
— ANI (@ANI) November 7, 2025
The event also marked the formal launch of the 150-year commemoration, which will run from November 7, 2025, to November 7, 2026, featuring cultural programs, exhibitions, and nationwide activities celebrating the legacy of the song that ignited India’s freedom movement.
PM Modi also launched a dedicated portal for the celebration, calling “Vande Mataram” a “stirring call that has inspired generations and ignited an undying spirit of patriotism across our nation.”
As part of the celebration, citizens across the country participated in a mass singing of the full version of “Vande Mataram” at 9.50 am, joining the main event from public spaces and institutions.
Originally composed during Akshaya Navami in 1875, “Vande Mataram” was first published in Bankimchandra Chatterji’s literary journal Bangadarshan as part of his novel Anandamath.
Invoking the motherland as a symbol of strength, prosperity, and divinity, the song became a rallying cry for India’s independence movement and remains an enduring emblem of national pride and unity.