Background
A song that changed the fate of an entire nation was born on Akshaya Navami in 1875. Written by Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay Vande Mataram first appeared in a serialised version of the novel Anandamath in the Bengali journal Bangadarshan.
During the Swadeshi movement 'Vande Mataram' leapt out of the novel and into the streets, becoming the voice of protestors, the breath of patriots, and the heartbeat of people who were discovering their own voice and agency.
Bande Mataram Album
2025 marks 150 years of Vande Mataram. This year, the events and celebrations of Republic Day pays a special tribute to the spirit of Vande Mataram. The paintings seen in and around Kartavya Path are from the publication titled BANDE MATARAM ALBUM from the year 1923.
This book published during the independence movement contains beautiful paintings by K. Tejendra Kumar Mitra that visually illustrate the Vande Mataram anthem and its verses, capturing patriotic and cultural imagery from that era. The publisher of the book was Shri Shiva Narayan Mishra Vaidya of Prakash Pustakalaya, Cawnpore and the price mentioned is RS. 2. This rare book also includes the complete English translation of the Bande Mataram song by Sri Aurobindo.
The presentation of the paintings
Each painting brings alive the lyrics of the song in a sequential manner. Preceding each painting, the lyrics are written in Devnagari (Hindi) first and then in
Roman (English) followed by an interpretation to enable seamless connect between the words and the visuals throughout the book. The paintings, the lyrics
and the interpretations as written in the book are presented below.
वन्दे मातरम् ।
Bande Mataram.
Hail mother, I bow to thee!
सुजलाम्
Sujalam
Nature supplies thee with all thy wants, With Sweet Water,
सुफलाम्
Suphalam
And with luscious fruits;
मलयज-शीतलाम् शस्य-श्यामलाम् मातरम् ।
Malayaja-Sheetalam Shashya Shyamalam Mataram.
Thou art soothed by balmy breeze, Ever verdant with green herbage;
शुभ्र-ज्योत्ना-पुलकित यामिनीम्,
Shubhra-jyotsna-pulakita-yamineem,
Thy nights ever resplendent with Silver Moons,
फुल्ल-कुसुमित द्रुमदल शोमिनीम,
Phulla-kusumita-drumdala-shobhineem,
Bedecked thou art in flowery plants,
सुहासिनीम्
Suhásineem
Ever cheerful, ever bright,
सुमधुर भाषिनीम, सुखदाम् वरदाम् मातरम् ।
Sumadhur-bhashineem, Sukhadam-vardam Mataram
Full of promise and of hope; Mother, thou bestoweth sweet pleasure and happiness divine.
त्रिश-कोटि-कण्ठ कलकल निनाद कराले, द्वित्रिंश-कोटि-मुजै त खरकरवाले,
Trimsha-koti-Kantha-kalkal-Ninad-karale, Dwitrimsha-koti-Bhujairdhrit-Kharakarabale,
Thy cause championed thy thirty crores of souls, Twice thirty crores of arms to defend thee:
केबोले मा तुमी अबाले! बाहुबल धारिणीम्
Kebole ma tumi abale! Eahubala dhárineem
Who says mother thou art feeble? Thou commandest immense strength,
नमामि तारिणीम
Namámi tarineem.
Our salvation lies in thee: (Hail mother I bow to thee!)
रिपुदलवारिणीम मातरम् ।।
Ripudalabárineem Mátaram.
Thou hast power to ward off foes, Mother, I bow to thee
श्यामलाम् सरलाम् सुस्मिताम् भूषितम् धरणीम् भरणीम् मातरम् ।।
Shyamalam Saralam Susmitam Bhushitam Dharaneem Bharaneem Mátaram.
Ever happy and ever simple, Ever bright and ever beautiful, Thou our support, our nourishment, I bow to thee.