The song Vande Mataram, composed in Sanskrit by Bankimchandra Chatterji, was a source of inspiration to the people in their struggle for freedom.
• It has an equal status with Jana-gana-mana.
•The first political occasion when it was sung was the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress.
• The following is the text of its first stanza:
Vande Mataram! Sujalam, suphalam, malayaja shitalam, Shasyashyamalam, Mataram! Vande Mataram! Shubhrajyotsna pulakitayaminim, Phullakusumita drumadala shobhinim, Suhasinim sumadhura bhashinim, Sukhadam varadam, Mataram! Vande Mataram, Vande Mataram!