Thane, Nov 7 (PTI) The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP held programmes in Thane district on Friday to mark the 150th anniversary of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’.
Volunteers of Chhatrapati Prabhat branch, one of the oldest units of the RSS in Thane, assembled at Shriram Vyayam Shala Seva Sanstha grounds opposite Talavpali, with retired teacher and Sanskrit scholar Sharad Dharmadhikari leading the rendition of the national song.
The Thane unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also organized an event in which 150 participants rendered ‘Vande Mataram’ together.
Similar programmes were held across the district, including at civic and government offices as well as educational institutions.
The song was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterji on the occasion of Akshaya Navami, which fell on November 7 in 1875. It first appeared in the literary journal, “Bangadarshan”, as part of Chatterji’s novel, “Anandamath”.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated year-long commemoration of ‘Vande Mataram’ to mark 150 years of the national song at an event in Delhi.
The programme marked the formal launch of the year-long nationwide commemoration — from November 7 this year to November 7, 2026 — celebrating 150 years of the timeless composition that inspired India’s freedom movement and continues to evoke national pride and unity. PTI COR BNM
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