NationalSaturday, 15 August 2026·The Hindu - National
Vande Mataram at Red Fort: 150-year national song milestone and 1950 adoption
On 15 August 2026, Vande Mataram was rendered at the Red Fort as India marked 150 years of the national song and its 1950 adoption by the Constituent Assembly.
Key highlights
Direct fact
On 15 August 2026 at the Red Fort in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the 80th Independence Day celebrations, where 'Vande Mataram' was rendered before the national anthem as India marked 150 years of the national song.
Key specifics
- 'Vande Mataram' was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1875 and first published in 'Bangadarshan' on 7 November 1875.
- The hymn was later included in Chatterjee's novel 'Anandamath', published in 1882.
- Rabindranath Tagore first sang 'Vande Mataram' at the 1896 Congress Session in Calcutta, now Kolkata.
- The Constituent Assembly adopted 'Vande Mataram' as India's national song in 1950.
- The government launched a year-long celebration in November 2025 to mark 150 years of 'Vande Mataram'.
Exam lens
Polity and culture match-the-following, 1875, 1896, 1950, Red Fort, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Tagore; TNPSC may ask the year of publication, the author, or the constitutional adoption of the national song.