For the first time since Independence, the full version of Vande Mataram was played at the Red Fort during Independence Day celebrations led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The National Song was performed by the Army band after the Prime Minister hoisted the Tricolour, while a 21-gun salute marked the ceremony. The rendition was followed by Jana Gana Mana, the National Anthem. The development comes as India marks 150 years of Vande Mataram and days after the song received the same legal protection as the National Anthem. The ceremony also featured an aerial flower-petal shower by two IAF helicopters there.
Historic Vande Mataram Rendition
The full version of ‘Vande Mataram’ was performed by the Army band at the Red Fort after PM Modi hoisted the national flag. It was followed by the customary rendition of ‘Jana Gana Mana’. Addressing the nation, PM Modi said, "It is for the first time after Independence that 'Vande Mataram' was played at the Red Fort."
The ceremony also included a 21-gun salute by the 1721 Field Battery (Ceremonial), using indigenous 105 mm Light Field Guns. Two Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force showered flower petals over the venue. One carried the National Flag, while the other displayed a flag featuring ‘Vande Mataram’.
150 Years Of The National Song
The landmark rendition comes in a year when India is marking 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’. The song, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, became closely associated with the freedom movement and gained widespread popularity during the Swadeshi Movement.
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President Droupadi Murmu also referred to its historical significance in her address to the nation on the eve of Independence Day. "During the Swadeshi Movement, the song Vande Mataram became a song of the masses," the President said.
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Same Legal Protection As National Anthem
The development also follows the President giving assent to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The amendment grants ‘Vande Mataram’ the same legal protection as the National Anthem. Under the amended law, deliberately disrupting or preventing the singing of the National Song can lead to penalties, including imprisonment, a fine, or both.
The full version of ‘Vande Mataram’ was also performed before and after President Murmu’s Independence Day eve address, followed by the National Anthem. The Red Fort ceremony has therefore added another significant chapter to the history of ‘Vande Mataram’, coming as the country marks 150 years of the National Song.