India celebrates Vande Mataram with new musical renditions

New musical tributes to the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ have been unveiled in India, marking significant milestones in the song’s 150-year history.

In New Delhi, Padma Shri Hariharan and Alamelu Mani presented the first copy of a premium vinyl album, ‘The Anthem: Vande Mataram’, to President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The presentation featured four generations of Hariharan’s family, including Akshay Hariharan, Aria Akshay, and Ahan Akshay, who all contributed vocals to the project. The album was conceived by Akhilesh Jha of the Centre for Gramophone and Allied Studies (CeGRAMS).

In Bengaluru, filmmaker Mahendra Munot unveiled a new audio rendition of ‘Vande Mataram’ at Lok Bhavan. Attended by Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, this version is specifically designed to be easy for schoolchildren to pronounce and sing. The rendition features vocals by Ajay Warrior and music by A T Ravish, with direction by B P Hariharan. The initiative aims to foster patriotism and make the historical song more accessible to younger generations.