As India celebrates its 65th Republic Day today, here are some songs that invoke the spirit of patriotism in different languages.

The song Ae mere watan ke logon in film Haqeeqat described one’s deep love for the motherland. The crystal clear sweet voice of Lata Mangeshkar left a strong impression in the hearts of millions of people.

Here is a Kannada patriotic song presented by H.S.Venkatesh Murthy and Ricky Kej. The visuals highlight the natural beauty of the land and its rich cultural heritage.

When MS Subbalakshmi sang the popular Bengali patriotic song of Dwijendralal Roy, it created a sensation among the listeners as the doyen not only had a clear diction of the language but also gave a very evocative rendition.

Bharatiyar, the fiery Tamil poet and patriot had expressed his love for his motherland in his poems, one of which was “Bharatha Samudayam”. Here is a rendition of the song by his grandson Rajkumar Bharathi.

When the music composer A.R.Rahman came up with the album Vande Mataram in 1997 to commemorate the golden jublee anniversary of India’s independence, the song “Maa Tujhe Salaam” from the album stood out for its lyrics and presentation. The song was a benediction, a call for people to pay homage to the motherland.

Several years ago a short musical video appeared on television highlighting the theme of national integration. The booming voice of Bhimsen Joshi kicked off the song. It went on to showcase other famous Indians from nearly every part of the country. The song Mile Sur Mera Tumhara presented in multiple languages also featured several musicians, actors, sportsmen and others from different fields. It was based on the raga Sindhubhairavi. To me the song appealed on several levels. It not only kindled feelings of patriotism but illustrated the diverse nature of this melody. It showed that music has no boundaries.