This Museum In Bengal Keeps The Original Printed Page Of 'Vande Mataram', Here's A Rare Glimpse

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi all set to address the Lok Sabha on Vande Mataram next week, News18 got an exclusive peek at the original printed page of India’s National Song as the country marks the 150th anniversary of the inspiring verses.

For the first time, the Bankim Bhawan Gaveshana Kendra in West Bengal’s Naihati — Vande Mataram writer Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s birthplace — allowed a rare glimpse of the original printed page of the song from the journal

Bangadarshan. This is an item that is not displayed in the museum but usually kept secure.

Vande Mataram was first published in Bangadarshan, edited by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, and later included in his novel Anandamath. It quickly spread from the printed page to the streets,

becoming a rallying cry for the national movement.

The Bankim Bhawan research museum, about 47.4 km from Kolkata, has preserved the room, desk, and personal effects associated with the song’s creation. Inside the museum, visitors can see a preserved baithakkhana (the room where Bankim Chandra held editorial discussions) and the adjoining chamber where Vande Mataram was composed.

Curator Gautam Sarkar told News18 that his team is honoured to care for these collections and emphasised the historical significance of the room and its contents.

“This is the room where he wrote Vande Mataram,” Sarkar said, recalling how Bankim Chandra’s verses were first published and how the author predicted the song would awaken the nation.

Bankim Chandra’s birthplace now features a library, museum, and special gallery named after Vande Mataram. The gallery contains old disc records of the song, write-ups by Aurobindo Ghosh, and a photograph of Bharat Matha. Director Dr Ratan Nandy showed News18 the first printed page from Bangadarshan, an item typically housed in a secure locker.

“Anybody holding that page will feel its power,” Nandy said, describing the decision to display the rare sheet as exceptional while reiterating the museum’s pride in preserving Bankim Chandra’s legacy.

At the same time, he said the institution is facing financial constraints. Though the state provides salaries, he and his staff said current funding is insufficient to maintain conservation standards, manage archives, and adequately run the library and gallery.

“We try to keep everything properly, but it is difficult to run the entire museum on limited resources,” Nandy said, urging greater financial support so the collection – including the exclusive Bangadarshan page – can be preserved for future generations.

The Bankim Bhawan Gaveshana Kendra houses Bankim Chandra’s personal items – his turban, shawl, chess set, manuscripts, and other memorabilia – and features a dedicated ‘Vande Mataram’ gallery with archival records and related writings, including material linked to Aurobindo Ghosh. Despite internal signage marking the historic room, visitors noted the absence of prominent external signage indicating the site’s significance – an omission that museum staff said undermines public awareness.

As the nation marks 150 years of Vande Mataram and Parliament prepares to discuss the song on December 8, the museum’s appeal is clear: preserving this history requires sustained financial support. The custodians of Bankim Chandra’s house said the first printed page is a powerful, irreplaceable artefact, and that safeguarding it will require resources beyond current allocations.

WHAT ARE THE KEY FACTS?

Location: Bankim Bhawan Gaveshana Kendra, Naihati (47.4 km approx from Kolkata)

Exclusive item: First printed page of Vande Mataram from Bangadarshan, shown publicly for the first time

Preservation need: Museum has requested additional funding to conserve archives, maintain exhibits and improve public display and signage.