On India’s 80th Independence Day, ITC Limited paid tribute to 150 years of Vande Mataram, India’s National Song, through “Desh Ek Raag 3,” a music video created by the ITC Sangeet Research Academy (ITC SRA). Anchored in Raag Desh, the composition brings together the Academy’s Gurus, Scholars and musician tutors in a rendition that reflects ITC’s continued homage to a song long regarded as a symbol of national unity and pride.
ITC Chairman Sanjiv Puri, who also chairs ITC SRA’s Board of Trustees, shared the tribute on LinkedIn, calling it a heartfelt offering to the nation and its cultural heritage, and describing the composition as a showcase of the vocal and instrumental traditions ITC SRA has nurtured for nearly five decades.
The presentation centers on the Academy’s Guru-Shishya Parampara, featuring a distinguished ensemble including Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar, Vidushi Subhra Guha and Pandit Uday Bhawalkar, alongside nearly 70 participants spanning generations – from 11-year-old Scholar Baibhab Mukhopadhyay to veteran maestros. The piece was created by Guru Abir Hossain and directed by Kolkata-based filmmaker Pritha Chakraborty.
This marks the third edition of the Desh Ek Raag series, which began in 2024 and has since grown into a recurring cultural platform blending music, heritage and nationhood. The series arrives as ITC SRA – established in 1977 and home to more than 50 Scholars across its Kolkata and Pune campuses – approaches its Golden Jubilee in 2027, continuing its mission of preserving Hindustani classical music for future generations.
