15 August,2026 08:17 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort amid patriotic fervour and tight security arrangements. Pic/PTI
In a first for Independence Day celebrations, "Vande Mataram" was rendered at the Red Fort complex on Saturday as part of the 80th Independence Day celebrations, followed by the national anthem at the grand ceremony.
The event also marked 150 years of the enduring legacy of the national song, "Vande Mataram". Floral decorations on the ramparts featured the national flag at the centre, flanked by the words "Vande Mataram".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort amid patriotic fervour and tight security arrangements.
An Army band played the tune of "Vande Mataram" as guests present at the venue joined in the rendering of the national song. This was followed by the Prime Minister hoisting the national flag and the national anthem being rendered.
After the national flag was hoisted, the Tricolour received a "Rashtriya Salute".
The ceremony was followed by a ceremonial shower of flower petals at the venue by two Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force. One helicopter carried the national flag, while the other carried a flag depicting "Vande Mataram".
The inclusion of the national song in the main Independence Day ceremony was part of this year's celebrations commemorating 150 years of "Vande Mataram", which has had a prominent place in India's freedom movement.
Written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1875, "Vande Mataram" became a rallying cry during the freedom movement. It was adopted as India's national song by the Constituent Assembly in 1950.
The government launched a year-long celebration last November to mark 150 years of "Vande Mataram", with programmes planned across the country to commemorate the history and legacy of the song.
"Vande Mataram" was initially composed independently and was later included in Chatterjee's novel "Anandamath". It was first sung by Rabindranath Tagore at the 1896 Congress Session in Calcutta, now Kolkata.
The use of "Vande Mataram" as a political slogan began during the freedom movement. According to a government note titled "150 Years of Vande Mataram: A Melody That Became a Movement", the phrase was first used as a political slogan on August 7, 1905.
The song was first published in the literary journal "Bangadarshan" on November 7, 1875. Chatterjee later incorporated the hymn into his novel "Anandamath", which was published in 1882.
The government note said the composition was set to music by Tagore, who also played an important role in popularising the song during the national movement.
The 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort brought together the ceremonial traditions of the national event and the year-long commemoration of "Vande Mataram".
The rendering of the national song at the Red Fort was followed by the flag-hoisting ceremony, the national anthem and the ceremonial salute to the Tricolour.
The celebrations also featured the Indian Air Force helicopter display, with the two Mi-17 helicopters carrying the national and "Vande Mataram" flags and showering flower petals over the venue.
