- Vande Mataram, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, was first published in 1875, in the Bengali monthly magazine Bangadarshan which was edited by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay himself.
- It later appeared in his famous novel Anand Math, published in 1882.
- It was recited in public for the first time in 1896 by Rabindranath Tagore at the 12th Annual Session of the Indian National Congress.
- In 1950, Vande Mataram was adopted as the National Song and was given an equal status with the National Anthem (Jana-Gana-Mana).
- Recently, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs issued formal guidelines on how Vande Mataram should be performed in public.
- According to these guidelines:
- When both are played, Vande Mataram should be sung before Jana Gana Mana.
- The audience must stand in attention. However, standing is not mandatory when it is played as part of a film or documentary.
- These rules aim to bring uniformity, dignity, and respect to its rendition.
