Jana Gana Mana
National AnthemComposed by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, 'Jana Gana Mana' is the National Anthem of India. It represents the pluralism, cultural diversity, and unity of the Indian subcontinent. Originally written in Bengali, the first stanza was officially adopted by the Constituent Assembly in 1950.
📋 Key Facts
🎵 Lyrics
जन-गण-मन अधिनायक जय हे, भारत-भाग्य-विधाता। पंजाब-सिन्धु-गुजरात-मराठा, द्राविड़-उत्कल-बङ्ग। विन्ध्य-हिमाचल-यमुना-गङ्गा, उच्छल-जलधि-तरङ्ग। तव शुभ नामे जागे, तव शुभ आशिष मागे, गाहे तव जय-गाथा। जन-गण-मङ्गल-दायक 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-Sindhu-Gujarata-Maratha Dravida-Utkala-Banga Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga Uchchala-Jaladhi-taranga. Tava shubha name jage, Tava shubha ashisa 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!
💡 Meaning
Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people,
Dispenser of India's destiny.
Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind, Gujarat and Maratha,
Of the Dravida and Orissa and Bengal;
It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas,
mingles in the music of Yamuna and Ganges and is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea.
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.
📚 Historical Context
Originally composed as a Brahmo hymn in five stanzas, 'Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata' was first sung on December 27, 1911, at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress. Outside of Calcutta, it was first sung by Tagore himself at the Besant Theosophical College in Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh, in 1919, where he also translated it into English as 'The Morning Song of India'. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's Indian National Army adopted a Hindustani translated version called 'Subh Sukh Chain' as their national anthem. On January 24, 1950, the Constituent Assembly of India officially adopted the first stanza of the original Bengali song as the National Anthem of the Republic of India.
📏 Rules & Etiquette
- • Standing in Attention: Whenever the Anthem is sung or played, the audience shall stand to attention with hands kept straight by their sides.
- • Singing Context: The Anthem should be sung collectively during school assemblies, national holidays (Republic Day, Independence Day), and official government functions.
- • Timing: A complete formal rendition of the anthem must strictly take 52 seconds. The short version (first and last lines) takes about 20 seconds.
- • Prohibition of Alteration: The anthem cannot be parodied, altered in rhythm, or sung with different lyrics.
- • Respectful Environment: It should not be played in an environment that is disruptive or lacks the dignity expected of a national symbol.