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Top 10 Facts about the Jana Gana Mana, the National Anthem of India

1. Originally, it was in Bengali Language.

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The original was written in Bengali and the full song has 5 stanzas. The text was first published in 1905, in an issue of Tatwabodhini Patrika.

2. It’s an Adoption from Rabindranath Tagore

The India’s National Anthem otherwise known as the ‘Jana Gana Mana’, was first written by a poet and playwright Rabindranath Tagore.

Due to it’s credibility, the National Congress meeting on December 27th, 1911 agreed to adopt it as a national anthem.

This was because, Rabindranath presented it to them and they were impressed.

3. First presentations

In 1911, the session held by Indian National Congress, in Calcutta, on 27th December, became the first location where the song was sung publicly – and Tagore sang it himself.

4. It has an English Version

On February 28th, 1919, Tagore wrote down an English interpretation of the full Bengali song, and titled it ‘The Morning Song of India’. 

This was requested by Dr. Cousins of the Besant Theosophical College at Madnapalle, where Tagore was visiting.

5. Beautiful Melody

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The melody for the full song, slow-paced, and in raga Alhaiya Bilawal, is attributed to Rabindranath himself.

Rabindranath’s grand-nephew, Dinendranath Tagore, a great musician himself, may have helped conceive it.

Another harmonised score was created when the song was played by Hamburg Radio Symphony Orchestra in Germany in 1942.

6. Declared a National Anthem

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On 24 January 1950 (before India’s first Republic Day on 26th), the first stanza of Tagore’s “Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata” was officially declared as the National Anthem of India by the Constituent Assembly of India.

7. The interesting selection of the National Anthem

Subhash Chandra Bose was key in making the selection of the national anthem. 

Ultimately, the anthem adapted from Tagore’s original. Another version of the song with Hindi and Urdu words, called ‘Shubh Sukh Chain’ was produced.

8. There is an Artwork for the National Anthem.

The artist, Maqbool Fida Hussain, created an artwork, the title of which is derived from the lines of the National Anthem ‘Bharata Bhagya Vidhata’.

9. 45-feet Mural in Remebrance

This 45-feet mural is still seen on the wall at Tata Fundamental Institute of Research, in Mumbai.

10. It has a Shorter Version

For certain tributary occasions, just the opening and closing line of the anthem is sung as a shorter version.