Vande Mataram to be sung from Red Fort for first time on 80th I-Day

The national song Vande Mataram will be sung from the ramparts of the Red Fort for the first time during India's 80th Independence Day celebrations on August 15, 2026. The Ministry of Defence announced the new ceremonial sequence: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive at the ramparts, the song will be played while everyone remains standing, the PM will then unfurl the national flag, and the national anthem will follow. The song, penned by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, first appeared in his 1882 novel Anandamath and became a rallying cry during the Swadeshi movement.

The Economic Times reports the full lyrics in both original Bengali and English translation, along with its meaning: "Mother, I Bow to Thee." The song praises the motherland's beauty and strength. Times Now reports that the song's later verses personify the motherland as Hindu goddesses, which historically caused division, some Muslims felt they could not sing it. In 1937, a Congress committee adopted only the first two stanzas for national gatherings. On January 24, 1950, India designated Jana Gana Mana as the national anthem and Vande Mataram as the national song with equal honour. The decision to sing the full six-verse rendition this year has revived the old debate.