Vande Mataram' 150th Anniversary Celebrations Held Grandly in Uravakonda

Uravakonda : The 150th Anniversary Celebrations of the national song 'Vande Mataram' were celebrated grandly by the Panchayat Governing Body in the Uravakonda Major Gram Panchayat on Friday.

 Collective Rendition of the Anthem

As part of the celebrations, the Panchayat members, along with Senior Electrician Ukkisula Gopal, collectively sang the 'Vande Mataram' anthem.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Gopal stated that 'Vande Mataram' has completed 150 years today. He explained the significance of the anthem.

Ward Member Niranjan mentioned that the immortal song was composed by the Bengali writer Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.

"The song was composed on November 7, 1875. Therefore, it is a joy to celebrate the completion of exactly 150 years of this anthem on November 7, 2025," Niranjan added.

 Role in the Freedom Movement

Lenin Babu spoke about the song's role in the freedom struggle. He remarked that 'Vande Mataram' became a war cry, providing morale and inspiration to lakhs of freedom fighters.

Speakers Gopal, Niranjan Goud, and Lenin Babu further elaborated that, particularly during the Anti-Partition of Bengal Movement (Swadeshi Movement) in 1905, the song united the entire country and became a symbol of patriotism. They described this period as the 'Vande Mataram Era' by historians.

The speakers also recalled that the song was first sung by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore at the Indian National Congress session held in Calcutta in 1896.

 National Recognition and Global Honour

The speakers highlighted the anthem's recognition:

 * National Song: After India gained independence, the Indian Constituent Assembly officially adopted the anthem as the 'National Song' on January 24, 1950, honouring it equally with 'Jana Gana Mana'.

 * World Recognition: They noted that 'Vande Mataram' secured the second position among the world's most famous national anthems in an international poll conducted by the BBC World Service.

They stated that the Central Government has planned year-long commemorative programs to mark the completion of 150 years of the anthem's composition. The speakers praised the collective singing of 'Vande Mataram' nationwide as part of these celebrations. They also mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a special postage stamp and coin to mark this anniversary.

Other members and staff of the Panchayat also participated in the programme.