New Delhi, Nov. 8 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the year-long nationwide commemoration marking 150 Years of India's National Song, 'Vande Mataram', at an event held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.

Addressing a packed audience, the Prime Minister began his speech with repeated chants of "Vande Mataram", calling it "a mantra, an energy, a dream, and a solemn resolve." He said Vande Mataram embodies the spiritual and cultural essence of Maa Bharati, inspiring confidence in the present and courage for the future.

Modi emphasized that Vande Mataram is more than a song - it is a symbol of India's civilizational identity and moral strength. Recalling its origins in Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's 1875 novel Anand...