ABSTRACT
Sarala Devi recalled her moment when she was with Bankimchandra after the meeting at Adi Bhramo samaj. Bankim, in those days, an uncrowned king and the supreme arbiter of Bengali literature. Along with his letters Bankim gifted a set of his books— an unexpected and invaluable token of affection to Sarala. On the very first day Sarala met Bankim, he asked her to set his song, 'Sadher Tarani', to music. The notation for this song is included in her book of music, 'Shatagan'. Speaking about Bankim it is impossible not to think of 'Vande Mataram', which is a mantra. Sarala's adulation for Bankim did not lead her to that song; Rabi-mama done it. After marriage Sarala once went to Benares to attend a session of the National Congress. Gokhale was then the president of the Congress. Gokhale asked her to sing a shortened version of 'Vande Mataram'. She replaced the words 'sapta koti with 'tringsa koti' in edited version.
