Vande Mataram

VANDE MATARAM

Our country India is the seventh largest country in the world by area. It is a nation of diverse cultures, languages and people. In spite of this diversity, we all stand united as Indians having a common national animal, a national bird, a national capital, anational currency, a national flower, a national fruit, a national rever and a national song.

Vande Mataram is the national song of India. The song was composed by Shri Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. the song was written in 1876 but first appeared in his book Anandmatha, published in 1882 amid fears of a ban by the British Raj. "Vande Mataram" was the national cry for freedom from British opperession during the freedom movement. Large rallies would work themselves up in to a patriotic fever by shouting the slogan "Vande Mataram" or "Hail to the Mother (land)!" The British, fearful of the potential danger of an incited Indian populace, at one point banned the utterance of the motto in public forums and jailed many freedom fighters for disobeying the proscription. To this day, "Vande Mataram" is seen as a national mantra describing the love of patriots for the country of India.