Freedom
Its knocking once again. Monday is a special day. On this day, I regret that I am out of my own country. I will not be able to hoist the flag and cannot see the live telecast from New Delhi. What I can definitely do is to teach National Anthem to children I know. I love to sing it loud and with head held high. My friends have been embarrassed but I havent cared too much. Its a trait which I have carried on from my Dad and will certainly try to pass it on.
I love National Anthem but Vande Mataram is even more beautiful. Some Trivia is given below. Happy Independence Day!
Vandē Mātaram is the national song of India. The song was composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in a highly Sanskritized form of the Bengali language. The song first appeared in his book Anandamatha, published in 1882 amid fears of a ban by British Raj, though the song itself was actually written six years prior in 1876.
"Vande Mataram" was the national cry for freedom from British oppression during the freedom movement. Large rallies, fermenting initially in West Bengal, in the major metropolis of Calcutta (Kolkata), would work themselves up into 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.
Though a major aspirant for being the national anthem of India, Vande Mataram was eventually overtaken by Jana Gana Mana, which was ultimately chosen. The choice was slightly controversial, since the Vande Mataram was the one song that truly depicted the pre-independence national fervour. The song was rejected on the grounds that Muslims felt offended by its depiction of the nation as "Ma Durga"-a Hindu goddess-thus equating the nation with the Hindu conception of shakti, divine feminine dynamic force; and by its origin as part of Anandamatha, a novel they felt had an anti-Muslim message.
Dr Rajendra Prasad, who was presiding the Constituent Assembly on January 24 1950, made the following statement which was also adopted as the final decision on the issue:
The composition consisting of words and music known as Jana Gana Mana is the National Anthem of India, subject to such alterations as the Government may authorise as occasion arises, and the song Vande Mataram, which has played a historic part in the struggle for Indian freedom, shall be honored equally with Jana Gana Mana and shall have equal status with it. (Applause) I hope this will satisfy members. (Constituent Assembly of India, Vol.XII, 24-1-1950)
The following is an English translation provided by Sri Aurobindo(His B'day is also on August 15th): -
I bow to thee, Mother,
richly-watered, richly-fruited ,cool with the winds of the south,
dark with the crops of the harvests, The Mother!
Her nights rejoicing in the glory of the moonlight
her lands clothed beautifully with her trees in flowering bloom
sweet of laughter, sweet of speech
The Mother, giver of boons, giver of bliss!
The song we know:
वन्दे मातरम्
सुजलां सुफलां मलयजशीतलाम्
सस्यश्यामलां मातरम्॥
शुभ्रज्योत्स्ना पुलकितयामिनीम्
पुल्लकुसुमित द्रुमदलशोभिनीम्
सुहासिनीं सुमधुर भाषिणीम्
सुखदां वरदां मातरम्॥
कोटि कोटि कन्ठ कलकलनिनाद कराले
कोटि कोटि भुजैर्धृतखरकरवाले
के बोले मा तुमी अबले
बहुबलधारिणीं नमामि तारिणीम्
रिपुदलवारिणीं मातरम्॥
The full version:
वन्दे मातरम्
सुजलां सुफलां मलयजशीतलाम्
शस्य श्यामलां मातरं .
शुभ्र ज्योत्स्न पुलकित यामिनीम
फुल्ल कुसुमित द्रुमदलशोभिनीम्,
सुहासिनीं सुमधुर भाषिणीम् .
सुखदां वरदां मातरम् .. वन्दे मातरम्
सप्त कोटि कन्ठ कलकल निनाद कराले
निसप्त कोटि भुजैध्रुत खरकरवाले
के बोले मा तुमी अबले
बहुबल धारिणीं नमामि तारिणीम्
रिपुदलवारिणीं मातरम् .. वन्दे मातरम्
तुमि विद्या तुमि धर्म, तुमि हृदि तुमि मर्म
त्वं हि प्राणाः शरीरे
बाहुते तुमि मा शक्ति,
हृदये तुमि मा भक्ति,
तोमारै प्रतिमा गडि मंदिरे मंदिरे .. वन्दे मातरम्
त्वं हि दुर्गा दशप्रहरणधारिणी
कमला कमलदल विहारिणी
वाणी विद्यादायिनी, नमामि त्वाम्
नमामि कमलां अमलां अतुलाम्
सुजलां सुफलां मातरम् .. वन्दे मातरम्
श्यामलां सरलां सुस्मितां भूषिताम्
धरणीं भरणीं मातरम् .. वन्दे मातरम्
I love National Anthem but Vande Mataram is even more beautiful. Some Trivia is given below. Happy Independence Day!
Vandē Mātaram is the national song of India. The song was composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in a highly Sanskritized form of the Bengali language. The song first appeared in his book Anandamatha, published in 1882 amid fears of a ban by British Raj, though the song itself was actually written six years prior in 1876.
"Vande Mataram" was the national cry for freedom from British oppression during the freedom movement. Large rallies, fermenting initially in West Bengal, in the major metropolis of Calcutta (Kolkata), would work themselves up into 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.
Though a major aspirant for being the national anthem of India, Vande Mataram was eventually overtaken by Jana Gana Mana, which was ultimately chosen. The choice was slightly controversial, since the Vande Mataram was the one song that truly depicted the pre-independence national fervour. The song was rejected on the grounds that Muslims felt offended by its depiction of the nation as "Ma Durga"-a Hindu goddess-thus equating the nation with the Hindu conception of shakti, divine feminine dynamic force; and by its origin as part of Anandamatha, a novel they felt had an anti-Muslim message.
Dr Rajendra Prasad, who was presiding the Constituent Assembly on January 24 1950, made the following statement which was also adopted as the final decision on the issue:
The composition consisting of words and music known as Jana Gana Mana is the National Anthem of India, subject to such alterations as the Government may authorise as occasion arises, and the song Vande Mataram, which has played a historic part in the struggle for Indian freedom, shall be honored equally with Jana Gana Mana and shall have equal status with it. (Applause) I hope this will satisfy members. (Constituent Assembly of India, Vol.XII, 24-1-1950)
The following is an English translation provided by Sri Aurobindo(His B'day is also on August 15th): -
I bow to thee, Mother,
richly-watered, richly-fruited ,cool with the winds of the south,
dark with the crops of the harvests, The Mother!
Her nights rejoicing in the glory of the moonlight
her lands clothed beautifully with her trees in flowering bloom
sweet of laughter, sweet of speech
The Mother, giver of boons, giver of bliss!
The song we know:
वन्दे मातरम्
सुजलां सुफलां मलयजशीतलाम्
सस्यश्यामलां मातरम्॥
शुभ्रज्योत्स्ना पुलकितयामिनीम्
पुल्लकुसुमित द्रुमदलशोभिनीम्
सुहासिनीं सुमधुर भाषिणीम्
सुखदां वरदां मातरम्॥
कोटि कोटि कन्ठ कलकलनिनाद कराले
कोटि कोटि भुजैर्धृतखरकरवाले
के बोले मा तुमी अबले
बहुबलधारिणीं नमामि तारिणीम्
रिपुदलवारिणीं मातरम्॥
The full version:
वन्दे मातरम्
सुजलां सुफलां मलयजशीतलाम्
शस्य श्यामलां मातरं .
शुभ्र ज्योत्स्न पुलकित यामिनीम
फुल्ल कुसुमित द्रुमदलशोभिनीम्,
सुहासिनीं सुमधुर भाषिणीम् .
सुखदां वरदां मातरम् .. वन्दे मातरम्
सप्त कोटि कन्ठ कलकल निनाद कराले
निसप्त कोटि भुजैध्रुत खरकरवाले
के बोले मा तुमी अबले
बहुबल धारिणीं नमामि तारिणीम्
रिपुदलवारिणीं मातरम् .. वन्दे मातरम्
तुमि विद्या तुमि धर्म, तुमि हृदि तुमि मर्म
त्वं हि प्राणाः शरीरे
बाहुते तुमि मा शक्ति,
हृदये तुमि मा भक्ति,
तोमारै प्रतिमा गडि मंदिरे मंदिरे .. वन्दे मातरम्
त्वं हि दुर्गा दशप्रहरणधारिणी
कमला कमलदल विहारिणी
वाणी विद्यादायिनी, नमामि त्वाम्
नमामि कमलां अमलां अतुलाम्
सुजलां सुफलां मातरम् .. वन्दे मातरम्
श्यामलां सरलां सुस्मितां भूषिताम्
धरणीं भरणीं मातरम् .. वन्दे मातरम्