Bhubaneswar, Aug. 10 -- 'Vande Mataram' will be sung for the first time during the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort this year, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the iconic patriotic song. The Defence Ministry has officially announced the programme, under which the song will be performed during the national flag-hoisting ceremony in New Delhi.

The event will be part of the country's 80th Independence Day celebrations. Written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1875, 'Vande Mataram' played a significant role in inspiring patriotic sentiment among Indians during the freedom movement.

To commemorate 150 years of the song, year-long programmes are being organised across the country. The third phase of the celebrations is bei...