Today is the 65th Independence Day of India, a souvenir to express our gratitude to previous generations who strove for the freedom of this country. Now, before I forget, here`s wishing everyone a joyous Independence Day.

Jawaharlal Nehru said on Indian Independence Day, in 1947 : "At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new…India discovers herself again."

After more than two hundred years of British rule, India finally won freedom on 15th August, 1947 and our tricolor unfurled and waved for the first time with pride in the skies. All the patriotic hearts rejoiced at seeing India becoming a sovereign country and the triumph of thousands of martyred souls.

15th August is celebrated to commemorate the birth of the world`s biggest democracy as a national holiday. Patriotism and Indian music have long been blended together in countless melodies, in different genres of Cinema, yet all of them rejuvenate that pure feeling every time you hear them.

Over the years, many musicians have expressed their love for the country and for the people who defended it by penning down several great patriotic songs. Here`s a look at the best patriotic songs of all times...