Bankim Chandra's Vande Mataram to be main theme of India's Republic Day parade
Bengali litterateur Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay composed Vande Mataram in the 1870s as a poem, and it remains a prominent cultural and patriotic symbol in India.
India has selected the national song Vande Mataram as the main theme for the Republic Day parade to be held in New Delhi on 26 January, marking 150 years since it was written.
Bengali litterateur Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay composed Vande Mataram in the 1870s as a poem, and it remains a prominent cultural and patriotic symbol in India.
This year's parade, which commemorates the country's transition to a republic in 1950, will feature multiple elements inspired by the song.
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A series of paintings created by Tejendra Kumar Mitra in 1923, illustrating verses of Vande Mataram and published in the Bande Mataram Album, will be displayed as view-cutters along Kartavya Path, the venue of the parade.
A banner depicting Vande Mataram will be unveiled, and rubber balloons will be released at the conclusion of the parade, which traditionally showcases India's military strength and cultural diversity.
Pan-India band performances based on the theme will be organised from 19 to 26 January by the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and other paramilitary forces.
One of the venues listed is Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's ancestral home and birthplace at Kanthalpara, Naihati, in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
Floral decorations in front of the main rostrum will also follow the Vande Mataram theme. The invitation card and tickets for the parade have been designed around the theme, and videos related to the song will be played on screens at Kartavya Path.
Tableaux presented during the parade will fall under broader themes of Vande Mataram and nationalism.
President of the European Council António Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will attend as chief guests.
The Indian government is also marking 150 years of Vande Mataram through year-long commemorative events, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated in November last year.
In a break from tradition, the enclosures for spectators this year will be named after major rivers of India, including the Ganges, Teesta, Brahmaputra, Beas, Chambal, Chenab, Gandak, Ghagra, Godavari, Sindhu, Jhelum, Kaveri, Kosi, Krishna, Mahanadi, Narmada, Pennar, Periyar, Ravi, Sone, Sutlej, Vaigai and Yamuna.
