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Jana Gana Mana

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Jana Gana Mana is the national anthem of India.

Rabindranath Tagore in 1909
Rabindranath Tagore in 1909

It is a very important song for the country. This song helps bring many people together. It is played or sung on many special occasions. People show great respect when the anthem is played. The full version of the song takes about 52 seconds. Sometimes, a shorter version is used. This short version only takes about 20 seconds. It uses only the first and last lines of the song.

The song works by naming many parts of India. It lists different regions like Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat, and Maratha. It also mentions Dravida, Utkala, and Banga. The lyrics talk about famous mountains like the Vindhyas and the Himalayas. It also names the Yamuna and Ganges rivers. Even the waves of the ocean are mentioned.

The words are written in a special way. They use a style of Bengali called Sadhu Bhasha. This style uses many words from Sanskrit. Because of this, many Indian people can understand the meaning.

A famous man named Rabindranath Tagore wrote the song. He was a great writer and the first Nobel laureate from India. He composed the song on 11 December 1911. It was originally called "Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata." It started as a religious hymn for the Brahmo Samaj. This group believed in one God. Tagore wrote the music himself. He may have had help from his grand-nephew, Dinendranath Tagore. The music follows a specific style called the Alhaiya Bilaval raga.

The song has a long and busy history. It was first sung in public on 27 December 1911. This happened at a meeting in Kolkata. Later, in 1919, Tagore sang it at a college in Madanapalle. A woman named Margaret Cousins helped save the music. She wrote it down using Western musical notes. Tagore also translated the song into English. He called the English version "The Morning Song of India." In 1942, the song was played by an orchestra in Germany. It was even heard in a 1945 film called Hamrahi.

India officially chose this song as its national anthem. The Constituent Assembly of India made this choice on 24 January 1950. Before this, the song was used in many other ways. For example, it was a school song at The Doon School in 1935. When India gained freedom in 1947, leaders sang it at midnight. The song is now a symbol of the nation. It connects the history of the past to the life of India today. It remains a powerful way for the people to feel united.

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File:Rabindranath Tagore in 1909.jpg
Rabindranath Tagore in 1909.jpg
Tagore singing Jana Gana Mana.webm
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