Rarely has a composition given rise to such a diverse range of debates or has been subjected to such a close scrutiny as India's National Song Vande Mataram.
Glorified by many as the last word in patriotic manifestation, the song was composed by Bankim Chandra in an inspired moment and was set to tune and sung by nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
It has been translated into all major Indian languages and set to music by Rabindranath Tagore and A R Rahman.
Know your Vande Mataram. Given below are the lyrics:
vande maataram, vande maataramsujalam suphalam malayaja sheetalam shasyashyamalam maataram, vande mataram sujalam suphalam malayaja sheetalam shasyashyamalam maataram, vande maataramshubhra jyotsna pulakitayaaminim
phulla kusumita drumadalashobhinimshubhra jyotsna pulakitayaaminim phulla kusumita drumadalashobhinimsuhaasinim sumadhurabhaashhinim sukhadaam varadaam maataramsapta koti kantha kalakalaninaada karale
nisapta koti bhujaidhruta karakarvaleabalakeno maa eto bale
bahubaladhaarinim namaami tarinim
ripudalavarinim maataram, vande maataramtvam hi durga dashapraharanadhaarini kamala kamaladala vihaarini vaani vidyaadaayini, namaami tvam namaami kamalam amalam atulamsujalam suphalam maataram
shyamalam saralam susmitam bhooshhitam
dharinim bharanim maataram, vande maataram
The song was actually written six years prior to in 1876.
Interestingly, though the original song is longer, only first two stanzas are popularly sung. In the later stanzas the motherland is likened to goddess Durga, something that Muslim leaders were against.
The Song is not new to controversy either. While it was treated as the national anthem of India for some time in the pre-Independence era, it was the Tagore-composed Jana Gana Mana which was finally chosen as the Anthem of independent India.
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