December 27, 1911– the day a song first heard at a Congress session in Calcutta began a chapter that would culminate in becoming India’s National Anthem, and become a shared national voice.Composed by Rabindranath Tagore, originally in Bangla, the hymn would, nearly four decades later, be adopted as the National Anthem of India. At the time of first rendition, it was introduced simply as a patriotic composition at a gathering of a political organisation that was still shaping its role in India’s anti-colonial movement.
The Calcutta Session of 1911
The 1911 Congress session was held at the Bharat Sabha, a single-storeyed structure on Bowbazar Street in Calcutta, in presence of then-Congress president, a senior moderate leader Bishan Narayan Dhar. Other prominent figures there were Ambika Charan Mazumder and Bhupendra Nath Bose.At this point in its history, the Indian National Congress was not a political party in the modern electoral sense but a national organisation bringing together leaders, intellectuals, professionals, and activists seeking constitutional reforms and, increasingly, self-government. Its annual sessions were platforms for political resolutions as well as cultural expressions aligned with emerging nationalist sentiment.
The first performance
Jana Gana Mana was sung before the assembled delegates 114 years ago, which was the 2nd day of the Calcutta session. The performance was led by Tagore’s niece Sarala Devi Chowdhurani, along with a group of students. Contemporary Congress records referred to the composition as “Janaganamana Adhinayaka”, describing it as a patriotic song.The lyrics were written in highly Sanskritised Bengali, employing a register familiar to audiences associated with the Brahmo Samaj and the emerging Bengali intelligentsia. The song addressed “Bharata Bhagya Vidhata”, a phrase referring to the guiding force or destiny of India.
The political context of 1911
The Congress session came on the heels of the Delhi Durbar of December 1911, held to mark the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary as Emperor and Empress of India. It was also at the backdrop for the announcement made by the British Government about the nullification of the division of Bengal and moving the Imperial Capital from Calcutta to Delhi.While Jana Gana Mana was being performed in this politically fraught atmosphere, there are some newspaper accounts of that time that suggested that it was meant to serve as a welcome or tribute to the British monarch.
Tagore’s clarification
Rabindranath Tagore did not immediately respond publicly to these claims. However, in later years, he explicitly rejected the suggestion that the song praised George V. In a letter written in 1937, Tagore recalled refusing a request from an acquaintance to compose a song in honour of the British king, describing his reaction as one of “amazement mingled with anger.”In a more forceful letter written in 1939, Tagore stated that he found it insulting to suggest that he would write in praise of a temporal ruler. He clarified that the “Adhinayaka” of Jana Gana Mana referred to a timeless guiding spirit of the Indian people, not a colonial sovereign. These letters have since been cited in official and scholarly accounts addressing the controversy.“I should only insult myself if I cared to answer those who consider me capable of such unbounded stupidity as to sing in praise of George the Fourth or George the Fifth as the Eternal Charioteer leading the pilgrims on their journeys through countless ages of the timeless history of mankind,” he had said.
Publication as Bharata Vidhata
Within a month of its first performance, the song was published in January 1912 in Tattvabodhini Patrika, the journal of the Brahmo Samaj. The journal was edited by Tagore himself. In print, the song appeared under the title “Bharata Vidhata” and was classified as Brahmo Sangeet.At the time of publication, the composition consisted of five stanzas. Each verse invoked different aspects of India’s geography, people, and collective experience. The published text confirmed that the song was conceived as a hymn rather than a political chant.
Subsequent early performances
On January 25, 1912, less than a month after its Congress debut, Jana Gana Mana was performed again at a public gathering in Calcutta celebrating the Hindu month of Magh. This performance took place under Tagore’s direct guidance.Over the following years, the song circulated primarily within cultural and nationalist circles, without any official political status. It coexisted with other patriotic compositions, most notably Vande Mataram, which had already acquired widespread popularity during the Swadeshi movement.
English translation
In 1919, Tagore journeyed to southern India and stayed at the Theosophical College in Madanapalle in what is now the state of Andhra Pradesh. It was here that he made a translation of “Jana Gana Mana” in English in his own handwriting. He titled it “The Morning Song of India.”This translation was not meant for replacement of the original text written in Bengali language, but to introduce its meaning in other languages. The handwritten manuscript has since been preserved and reproduced in various archives.
An English translation of Jana Gana Mana by Rabindranath Tagore (Image credit: Nobel Prize handle on X)
The song during the freedom struggle
During the 1920s and 1930s, Jana Gana Mana continued to be performed at cultural gatherings, though it did not displace Vande Mataram as the most widely recognised nationalist song. Both compositions occupied distinct places within the freedom movement’s symbolic repertoire.The song acquired additional political resonance during World War II, when it was adopted by Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army (INA) as one of its anthems. It was sung by INA units in Southeast Asia and later by INA members in Japan. This further mainstreamed the song’s association with anti-colonial resistance.
1947: International exposure
Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India, reported in a letter that the performance of “Jana Gana Mana” received positive reviews, with delegations of different countries requesting a copy of its sheet music.However, at that point, India had not yet adopted a national anthem, and no official choice had been considered either.
Debate in the Constituent Assembly
After Independence, the newly established government faced the question of choosing a national anthem. The decision was essentially one of constitutional and symbolic significance. Thus, the matter was therefore referred for consideration before the Constituent Assembly.Both Jana Gana Mana and Vande Mataram were considered. While Vande Mataram had played a central role in the freedom struggle, there were some apprehensions about its suitability for performance at international events as well as about its musical adaptability.The matter was raised in Parliament by Prime Minister Nehru on August 25, 1948. He said, “It was thought by some people that the “Vande Mataram” tune with all its very great attraction and historical background was not easily suitable for being played by orchestras in foreign countries, and there was not enough movement in it. It seemed, therefore, that while Vande Mataram should continue to be the national song par excellence in India, the National Anthem tune should be that of Jana-Gana-Mana.”
Adoption as the National Anthem
On January 24, 1950, two days before India became a republic, Dr Rajendra Prasad, President of the Constituent Assembly, formally announced the adoption of Jana Gana Mana (hindi version) as the National Anthem of India. The announcement specified that, “The composition consisting of the words and music known as Jana Gana Mana is the National Anthem of India, subject to such alterations in the words as the Government may authorise as occasion arises; and the song Vande Mataram, which has played a historic part in the struggle for Indian freedom, shall be honoured equally with Jana Gana Mana and shall have equal status with it. I hope this will satisfy the Members.”Only the first stanza of Tagore’s original five-verse composition was adopted. The officially recognised version has a playing time of approximately 52 seconds.
Aftermath and legacy
Rabindranath Tagore did not live to witness the acceptance of his composition as the national anthem. He passed away in August 1941, almost nine years before the Constituent Assembly took its decision.Notably, Tagore is the only person in world history to have penned two national anthems. His song “Amar Sonar Bangla” was Constitutionally adopted as the national anthem of Bangladesh in 1972.With time, the final four verses of ‘Jana Gana Mana’ gradually phased-out. Although, the anthem has been performed in its entirety on special occasions. The musical composition of the national anthem of India was standardized to accommodate orchestral performances during official or international gatherings.
From its initial performance in a small auditorium at Calcutta way back in 1911 to its eventual adoption as a national anthem in 1950, Jana Gana Mana followed a long and documented journey shaped by political change, cultural debate, and constitutional process.
