New Delhi, Jan 26 (PTI) India celebrated 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’ — the main theme of the 77th Republic Day parade here on Monday — through multiple forms, including images of its opening stanzas in rare artworks, several thematic tableaux, a rich musical rendition and a majestic performance by 2,500 artistes on the Kartavya Path.
Invitation cards to the ceremonial parade carried the logo of the song’s sesquicentenary, a watermark of its name, along with a silhouetted image of its composer, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.
Written in 1875 by Chatterjee, ‘Vande Mataram’ had turned into a rallying cry during the freedom movement of India. It was adopted as the national song by the Constituent Assembly in 1950.
President of the European Council Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attended the celebrations as chief guests.
Right on the opposite side of the saluting dais, across the Kartavya Path, and around the sculpture of the Ashoka Emblem, a special floral artwork represented an image of Chatterjee with a caption in Hindi saying ‘150 Years of Vande Mataram’.
The Central Public Works Department also celebrated the milestone with a floral composition in its tableau.
The anterior of the tableau featured a burning torch with soaring flames, symbolising the role of ‘Vande Mataram’ as the torchbearer of India’s freedom struggle. The imagery reflected how the song ignited the spirit of patriotism, unity and resistance against colonial rule, inspiring generations to challenge subjugation.
Crafted exclusively with natural and vibrant flowers, the float offered an aesthetically pleasing visual experience, symbolising purity, reverence and the timeless ideals embodied in ‘Vande Mataram’, which continued to link India’s past with its present and inspire confidence in the future, officials said.
Tableaux of West Bengal, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and the Ministry of Culture, too, paid homage to Chatterjee and his landmark composition.
Thirty tableaux — 17 from various states and Union territories and 13 from ministries and services — rolled down the Kartavya Path during the ceremonial event.
West Bengal’s tableau depicted Chatterjee and his seminal composition at the front of the float, in line with the parade’s overarching theme.
The vibrant tableau’s rear part portrayed Rabindranath Tagore, along with Khudiram Bose facing the gallows, representing India’s freedom movement. The chosen subject for the state’s tableau was ‘Bengal in the Freedom Movement of India’.
‘Vande Mataram’ was initially composed independently and later included in Chatterjee’s novel ‘Anandamath’. It was first sung by Rabindranath Tagore at the 1896 Congress Session in Calcutta (now Kolkata). The chant of ‘Vande Mataram’ as a political slogan was first used on August 7, 1905, according to a note ‘150 Years of Vande Mataram: A Melody That Became a Movement’, shared by the government on November 6 last year.
‘Vande Mataram’ was first published in the literary journal ‘Bangadarshan’ on November 7, 1875. Later, Chatterjee incorporated the hymn in his immortal novel ‘Anandamath’, which was published in 1882. It was set to music by Tagore, it said.
It has become an integral part of the nation’s civilisational, political and cultural consciousness. Commemorating this milestone presents an occasion to reaffirm the timeless message of unity, sacrifice and devotion that ‘Vande Mataram’ embodies for all Indians, the note said.
The Culture Minsitry’s tableau, with the theme ‘Vande Mataram: The Soul-Cry of a Nation’ rolled down the Kartavya Path to the accompaniment of the rare 1928 recording of the song by Vishnupant Pagnis, who was a famous Marathi singer.
Its front section depicted the manuscript of ‘Vande Mataram’ being created, while a panel on its lower side depicted an image of Chatterjee.
The middle section carried a group of artists in traditional costumes, depicting the folk diversity of India, while some were seen in modern dresses, representing the ‘Gen Z’.
India celebrated the day with a grand display of its cultural diversity, economic growth and military prowess in a parade that lasted about 90 minutes.
Around 100 artistes heralded the parade with the theme ‘Vividhata Mein Ekta’ (unity in diversity) that featured a grand presentation of musical instruments, demonstrating the nation’s unity and rich cultural diversity.
Towards the final flypast, a group of nearly 2,500 artistes, representing different dance forms of India, performed a mega show, centred on ‘Vande Mataram’.
Also, prints of old paintings by artist Tejendra Kumar Mitra, illustrating the opening stanzas of ‘Vande Mataram’, adorned the enclosure backdrops along the Kartavya Path at the parade here.
At the end of the parade, tricolour-themed balloons were released in air carrying a flag and a banner with ‘Vande Mataram’ inscribed on it.
Also, performances by various military and the Central Armed Police Forces bands were held from January 19 to 26 in many cities, on the theme of ‘Vande Mataram’. PTI KND PRK PRK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.