"" is the national anthem of the Republic of India. It was originally composed as "Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata" in Sādhu Bhāṣā, a 19th-century Sankritised register of the Bengali language, written by polymath, activist and country's first Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore Quote: "Though written in Bengali, the language used was sadhu Bengali or tatsama Bengali which is heavily influenced by Sanskrit. Many of the words exist with the same meaning in different Indian languages and thus, all Indian people understand the words and meaning of the national anthem" on 11 December 1911. The first stanza of the song "Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata", originally composed as a Hindu religious hymn for the Brahmo Samaj, was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India as the National Anthem on 24 January 1950. A formal rendition of the national anthem takes approximately 52 seconds. A shortened version consisting of the first and last lines (and taking about 20 seconds to play) is also staged occasionally. It was first publicly sung on 27 December 1911 at the Calcutta (present-day Kolkata) Session of the Indian National Congress.
History The National Anthem of India is officially titled "Jana Gana Mana". The song was originally composed in Bengali by India's first Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore on 11 December 1911. The parent song, "Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata", is a religious hymn originally composed for the monotheistic Brahma Samaj that has five verses of which only the first verse was adopted as the national anthem.
The lyrics of the song first appeared in 5 stanzas in Bengali magazine in an issue of Tatwabodhini Patrika. The melody of the song, in the Alhaiya Bilaval raga, was composed as a Brahmo hymn by Tagore himself with possibly some help from his musician grand-nephew Dinendranath Tagore. The final form of the song before the first public performance was set on 11 December 1911.
The song was first publicly sung on the second day of the annual session of the Indian National Congress in Kolkata on 27 December 1911 by Rabindranath Tagore's niece in her school assembly. Then, it was followed in January 1912 at the annual event of the Adi Brahmo Samaj, However, it was largely unknown except to the readers of the Adi Brahmo Samaj journal, Tattwabodhini Patrika. The poem was published in January 1912, under the title "Bharat Bhagya Bidhata" in the Tatwabodhini Patrika, which was the official publication of the Brahmo Samaj with Tagore then the Editor.
In 1917, the song was again performed at the Congress conference and this time in aid of instrumental music by the Mahraja Bahadur of Nattore.
Outside of Calcutta, the song was first sung by the bard himself at a session in Besant Theosophical College in Madanapalle, Madras (current Andhra Pradesh) on 28 February 1919 when Tagore visited the college and sang the song. The song enthralled the college students and Margaret Cousins, then vice-principal of the college (also an expert in European music and wife of Irish poet James Cousins). Based on the notes provided by Tagore himself, the song was preserved in 1919 in Western notation at Madanapalle by Margaret Cousins and her students. The whole episode was recorded by James Cousins in his autobiography "We Two Together": In a voice surprisingly light for so large a man, he sang something like a piece of geography giving a list of countries, mountains and rivers; and in the second verse, a list of the religions in India. The refrain to the first made us pick up our ears. The refrain to the second verse made us clear our throats. We asked for it again and again, and before long we were singing it with gusto: Jaya hai, Jaya hai, Jaya hai, Jaya JayaJayaJaya hai (Victory, victory, victory to thee). We had no idea who or what was to have the victory. The next day Rabindranath gave the swarams(notes) of "Jana gana" to Mrs.Cousins so that the melody should have accurate permanent record. He also made the translation of the song into English as 'The Morning Song of India'.
Thus, Margaret Cousins became probably the first person to transcribe and preserve Tagore's composition in Western sheet music notation at Madanapalle based on the notes provided by Tagore himself. And soon it took its place in the "daily deciation" of the combined school and college of Besant Hall in Madanapalle and is still sung to this date. It was also here that the song was first translated into English by Tagore as "The Morning Song of India".
The song was selected as the national anthem by Subhas Chandra Bose while he was in Germany. On the occasion of the founding meeting of the German-Indian Society on 11 September 1942 in the Hotel Atlantic in Hamburg, "Jana Gana Mana" was played for the first time by the Hamburg Radio Symphony Orchestra as the national anthem of India. The musical notations for this interpretation of the song were prepared by B.L. Mukherjee and Ambik Majumdar.
Before it officially became the national anthem of India in 1950, "Jana Gana Mana" was heard in the 1945 film Hamrahi. It was also adopted as a school song of The Doon School, Dehradun in 1935.
On the occasion of India attaining freedom, the Indian Constituent Assembly assembled for the first time as a sovereign body at midnight on 14 August 1947; the session closed with a unanimous performance of "Jana Gana Mana".
The members of the Indian delegation to the General Assembly of the United Nations held in New York in 1947 gave a recording of "Jana Gana Mana" as the country's national anthem. The song was played by the house orchestra in front of a gathering consisting of representatives from all over the world.
Code of conduct The National Anthem of India is played or sung on various occasions. Instructions have been issued from time to time about the correct versions of the anthem, the occasions on which these are to be played or sung and the need for paying respect to the anthem by observance of proper decorum on such occasions. The substance of these instructions has been embodied in the information sheet issued by the government of India for general information and guidance. The approximate duration of the full version of the National Anthem of India is 52 seconds; the shorter version is approximately 20 seconds.
Lyrics
Original Bengali composition The poem was composed in a literary register of the Bengali language called Sadhu Bhasha, which is heavily Sanskritised (i.e. mainly uses tatsama words).
Bengali scriptISO 15919 transliterationIPA transcription
Official lyrics + Official Government of India text in Devanagari Official romanisation(bold indicates long vowels) Devanagari transliteration(ISO 15919) IPA transcription जन-गण-मन-अधिनायक जय हे भारत भाग्य विधाता। पंजाब-सिन्धु-गुजरात-मराठा द्राविड़-उत्कल-बंग विंध्य हिमाचल यमुना गंगा उच्छल जलधि तरंग तव शुभ नामे जागे, तव शुभ आशिष मागे गाहे तव जय-गाथा। जन-गण-मंगलदायक जय हे भारत भाग्य विधाता। जय हे, जय हे, जय हे, जय जय जय जय हे। Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka jaya he Bharata-bhagya-vidhata. Panjaba-Sindh-Gujarata-Maratha Dravida-Utkala-Banga Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga Uchchhala-jaladhi-taranga Tava subha name jage, tava subha asisa mage gahe tava jaya-gatha. Jana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya he Bharata-bhagya-vidhata. Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he, jaya jaya jaya jaya he. Jana-gaṇa-mana adhināyaka jaya hē Bhārata-bhāgya-vidhātā. Paṁjāba-Sindhu-Gujarāta-Marāṭhā, Drāviṛa-Utkala Baṁga Vindhya Himācala Yamunā Gaṁgā, Ucchala jaladhi taraṁga Tava śubha nāmē jāgē, tava śubha āśiṣa māgē gāhē tava jaya gāthā. Jana gaṇa maṁgala-dāyaka jaya hē, Bhārata bhāgya vidhātā. Jaya hē, jaya hē, jaya hē, jaya jaya jaya jaya hē.
English lyrics The English version was translated by Rabindranath Tagore himself on 28 February 1919 at the Besant Theosophical College.Refer to
+ Official English version Literal English translationThou art the ruler of the minds of all people, dispenser of India's destiny. Thy name rouses the hearts of the Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat and Maratha; of the Dravida, Orissa and Bengal. It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas, mingles in the music of the Yamuna and Ganges and is chanted by the waves of the Indian Ocean. They pray for Thy blessings and sing Thy praise. The saving of all people waits in thy hand, Thou dispenser of India's destiny. Victory, Victory, Victory to thee.Victory to the Lord of the minds of all the people, The dispenser of India's destiny! Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat, Maratha, Dravida, Utkala, Bengal; The Vindhyas, Himalayas, Yamunas, the Ganges, The wavering waves of the ocean all arise in your auspicious name, Seek your auspicious blessings, sing your victory lore. Victory to the graciousness of the people, The dispenser of India's destiny! Victory! Victory! Victory! Victory, victory, victory, victory to you!
Abridged version A short version consisting of the first and last lines of the National Anthem is also played on certain occasions.
Devanagari scriptOfficial romanisation(bold indicates long vowels)Latin transliteration(ISO 15919)Latin transliteration (IAST Pali)IPA transcriptionjana gaṇa mana adhināyaka jayahē,
bhārata bhāgya vidhātā!
jayahē! jayahē! jayahē! jaya jaya jaya jayahē!
Raga "Jana Gana Mana" is sung in the Alhaiya Bilaval raga, whereby the Madhyama svara is employed, some may even classify it as raga Yaman-Kalyan or raga Gaud Sarang
Other transcriptions Urdu (Nasta'liq)GujaratiKannadaTamilTeluguMarathiSanskritOdia
Gallery
Controversies
Historical significance The composition was first sung during a convention of the Indian National Congress in Calcutta on 27 December 1911. It was sung on the second day of the convention. The event was reported as such in the British Indian press: "The Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore sang a song composed by him specially to welcome the Emperor." (Statesman, 28 December 1911)"The proceedings began with the singing by Rabindranath Tagore of a song specially composed by him in honour of the Emperor." (Englishman, 28 December 1911)"When the proceedings of the Indian National Congress began on Wednesday 27 December 1911, a Bengali song in welcome of the Emperor was sung. A resolution welcoming the Emperor and Empress was also adopted unanimously." (Indian, 29 December 1911)
Many historians aver that the newspaper reports cited above were misguided. The confusion arose in the Indian press since a different song, "Badshah Humara" written in Hindi by Rambhuj Chaudhary, was sung on the same occasion in praise of George V. The nationalist press in India stated this difference of events clearly: "The proceedings of the Congress party session started with a prayer in Bengali to praise God (song of benediction). This was followed by a resolution expressing loyalty to King George V. Then another song was sung welcoming King George V." (Amrita Bazar Patrika, 28 December 1911)"The annual session of Congress began by singing a song composed by the great Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore. Then a resolution expressing loyalty to King George V was passed. A song paying a heartfelt homage to King George V was then sung by a group of boys and girls." (The Bengalee, 28 December 1911)
Even the report of the annual session of the Indian National Congress of December 1911 stated this difference: "On the first day of 28th annual session of the Congress, proceedings started after singing Vande Mataram. On the second day the work began after singing a patriotic song by Babu Rabindranath Tagore. Messages from well-wishers were then read and a resolution was passed expressing loyalty to King George V. Afterwards the song composed for welcoming King George V and Queen Mary was sung."
On 10 November 1937, Tagore wrote a letter to Pulin Bihari Sen about the controversy. That letter in Bengali can be found in Tagore's biography Rabindrajibani, volume II page 339 by Prabhatkumar Mukherjee.