New Delhi: At the inauguration of the year-long celebrations marking 150 years of India’s national song Vande Mataram, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paused to admire a rare piece of musical history – the first-ever gramophone recording of Vande Mataram.
The event, held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi on Friday, featured an elaborate exhibition showcasing the evolution of India’s cultural and musical heritage. Among the many artifacts displayed, the vintage gramophone became a focal point of attention, drawing praise from dignitaries and attendees alike.
Rare Exhibit from a Bureaucrat Couple’s Private Collection
The historic gramophone record was contributed by a bureaucrat couple – Akhilesh Jha, a 1996-batch Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) officer, and Rashmita Jha, a 1997-batch Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) officer.
The couple has spent decades collecting, restoring, and cataloguing rare gramophone records and vintage audio material that document India’s rich musical and cultural evolution. Their personal archive includes thousands of records, many dating back to the early 20th century, preserving voices, compositions, and soundscapes that would otherwise be lost to time.
A Legacy of Sound: Reviving India’s Musical Past
The gramophone played during the event reportedly featured the first recorded rendition of Vande Mataram — a priceless relic symbolizing the convergence of technology, nationalism, and art during the early decades of India’s freedom movement.
According to officials, Prime Minister Modi spent several moments listening to the vintage recording, visibly moved by the sound of history. The exhibit drew admiration from Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and several senior officials who were present on the occasion.
A Tribute to India’s Cultural Custodians
For Akhilesh and Rashmita Jha, the recognition of their work marks a milestone in their lifelong mission to preserve India’s aural heritage. Over the years, they have worked to digitize and document vintage records to make them accessible to researchers, musicians, and cultural institutions.
Their collection has previously been featured at various cultural events, but the showcase at the Vande Mataram anniversary has brought their efforts to national prominence. Officials from the Ministry of Culture have lauded their contribution as an example of citizen-led heritage preservation complementing government efforts to archive India’s intangible cultural legacy.
Commemorating 150 Years of Vande Mataram
The 150-year celebration of Vande Mataram marks a landmark cultural initiative highlighting India’s musical, literary, and nationalist journey. The year-long commemoration includes exhibitions, musical renditions, archival projects, and public outreach programs designed to connect citizens with the song’s enduring legacy.
As the event concluded, the sight of a modern-day Prime Minister pausing to hear a century-old recording served as a powerful reminder of India’s timeless cultural continuity – from the analog sound of a gramophone to the digital era of preservation.
