History and significance

It is generally believed that the concept of Vande Mataram came to

Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay when he was still a government official
under the British Raj. Around 1870, the British rulers of India had
declared that singing of God Save the Queen would be mandatory.[1] He
wrote it in a spontaneous session using words from two languages he
was expert in, Sanskrit and Bengali. However, the song was initially
highly criticized for the difficulty in pronunciation of some of the
words.[1] The song first appeared in Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay's
book Anandamatha (pronounced Anondomôţh in Bengali), published in
1882 amid fears of a ban by British Raj. However, the song itself was
actually written in 1876.[1] Jadunath Bhattacharya set the tune for this
song just after it was written.[1]

The flag raised by Bhikaiji Cama in 1907

"Vande Mataram" was the national cry for freedom from British
oppression during the freedom movement. Large rallies, fermenting
initially in Bengal, in the major metropolis of Calcutta, would work
themselves up into a patriotic fervour by shouting the slogan "Vande
Mataram," or "Hail to the Mother(land)!". The British, fearful of the
potential danger of an incited Indian populace, at one point banned the
utterance of the motto in public forums, and imprisoned many freedom
fighters for disobeying the proscription. Rabindranath Tagore sang
Vande Mataram in 1896 at the Calcutta Congress Session held at
Beadon Square. Dakhina Charan Sen sang it five years later in 1901 at
another session of the Congress at Calcutta. Poet Sarala Devi
Chaudurani sang the song in the Benares Congress Session in 1905.
Lala Lajpat Rai started a journal called Vande Mataram from Lahore.[1]
Hiralal Sen made India's first political film in 1905 which ended with
the chant. Matangini Hazra's last words as she was shot to death by
the Crown police were Vande Mataram[2]
In 1907, Bhikaiji Cama (1861-1936) created the first version of India's
national flag (the Tiranga) in Stuttgart, Germany in 1907. It had Vande
Mataram written on it in the middle band [3]
A number of lyrical and musical experiments have been done and
many versions of the song have been created and released throughout
the 20th century. Many of these versions have employed traditional
South Asian classical ragas. Versions of the song have been visualized
on celluloid in a number of films including Leader (film), Amar asha and
Anandamath. It is widely believed that the tune set for All India Radio
station version was composed by Ravi Shankar.[1]

[edit] Controversy
Jana Gana Mana was chosen as the National Anthem of independent
India. Vande Mataram was rejected on the grounds that Muslims felt
offended by its depiction of the nation as "Mother Durga"—a Hindu
goddess— thus equating the nation with the Hindu conception of
shakti, divine feminine dynamic force; and by its origin as part of
Anandamatha, a novel they felt had an anti-Muslim message (see
External links below).
In 1937 the Indian National Congress discussed at length the status of
the song. It was pointed out then that though the first two stanzas
began with an unexceptionable evocation of the beauty of the
motherland, in later stanzas there are references where the
motherland is likened to the Hindu goddess Durga. Therefore, the
Congress decided to adopt only the first two stanzas as the national
song.

[edit] Rabindranath Tagore on Vande Mataram

"Vande Mataram! These are the magic words which will open the door
of his iron safe, break through the walls of his strong room, and
confound the hearts of those who are disloyal to its call to say Vande
Mataram." (Rabindranath Tagore in Glorious Thoughts of Tagore, p.165)
The controversy becomes more complex in the light of Rabindranath
Tagore's rejection of the song as one that would unite all communities
in India. In his letter to Subhash Chandra Bose (1937) Rabindranath
wrote,

"The core of Vande Mataram is a hymn to goddess Durga:

this is so plain that there can be no debate about it. Of
course Bankimchandra does show Durga to be inseparably
united with Bengal in the end, but no Mussulman [Muslim]
can be expected patriotically to worship the ten-handed
deity as 'Swadesh' [the nation]. This year many of the
special [Durga] Puja numbers of our magazines have
quoted verses from Vande Mataram - proof that the editors
take the song to be a hymn to Durga. The novel
Anandamath is a work of literature, and so the song is
appropriate in it. But Parliament is a place of union for all
religious groups, and there the song cannot be appropriate.
 When Bengali Mussalmans show signs of stubborn
fanaticism, we regard these as intolerable. When we too
copy them and make unreasonable demands, it will be self-
defeating."

In a postscript to this same letter Rabindranath says,

"Bengali Hindus have become agitated over this matter,

but it does not concern only Hindus. Since there are strong
feelings on both sides, a balanced judgement is essential.
In pursuit of our political aims we want peace, unity and
good will - we do not want the endless tug of war that
comes from supporting the demands of one faction over
the other." [4]

In the last decade Vande Mataram has been used as a rallying cry by
Hindu nationalists in India, who have challenged the status of the
current national anthem by Rabindranath.

[edit] Dr. Rajendra Prasad on Vande Mataram

Dr. Rajendra Prasad, who was presiding the Constituent Assembly on

January 24, 1950, made the following statement which was also
adopted as the final decision on the issue:
The composition consisting of words and music known as Jana Gana Mana is the
National Anthem of India, subject to such alterations 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 honored equally with
Jana Gana Mana and shall have equal status with it. (Applause) I hope this will
satisfy members. (Constituent Assembly of India, Vol. XII, 24-1-1950)

[edit] Controversy in 2006

On August 22, 2006, there was a row in the Lok Sabha of the Indian
Parliament over whether singing of Vande Mataram in schools should
be made mandatory. The ruling coalition (UPA) and Opposition
members debated over the Government's stance that singing the
National Song Vande Mataram on September 7, 2006 to mark the
125th year celebration of its creation should be voluntary. This led to
the House to be adjourned twice. Human Resources Development
Minister Arjun Singh noted that it was not binding on citizens to sing
the song. Arjun Singh had earlier asked all state governments to
ensure that the first two stanzas of the song were sung in all schools
on that day. BJP Deputy Leader V K Malhotra wanted the Government
to clarify whether singing the national song on September 7 in schools
was mandatory or not. On August 28, targeting the BJP, Congress
spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said that in 1998 when Mr. Atal Behari
Vajpayee of the BJP was the Prime Minister, the BJP supported a similar
circular issued by the Uttar Pradesh government to make the recitation
compulsory. But Mr Vajpayee had then clarified that it was not
necessary to make it compulsory.[5]
On September 7, 2006, the nation celebrated the National Song.
Television channels showed school children singing the song at the
notified time.[6] Some Muslim groups had discouraged parents from
sending their wards to school on the grounds, after the BJP had
repeatedly insisted that the National Song must be sung. However,
many Muslims did participate in the celebrations[6].

[edit] Support for Vande Mataram

[edit] Muslim institutions and Vande Mataram

Though a number of Muslim organizations and individuals have

opposed Vande Mataram being used as a "national song" of India,
citing many religious reasons, some Muslim personalities have admired
and even praised Vande Mataram as the "National Song of India" . Arif
Mohammed Khan, a former member of parliament for the Bharatiya
Janata Party wrote an Urdu translation of Vande Mataram which starts
as Tasleemat, maan tasleemat.[7] In 2006, amidst the controversy of
whether singing of the song in schools should be mandatory or
optional, some Indian Muslims did show support for singing the song.[6]
All India Sunni Ulema Board on Sept 6, 2006 issued a fatwa that the
Muslims can sing the first two verses of the song. The Board president
Moulana Mufti Syed Shah Badruddin Qadri Aljeelani said that "If you
bow at the feet of your mother with respect, it is not shirk but only
respect."[8] Shia scholar and All India Muslim Personal Law Board vice-
president Maulana Kalbe Sadiq stated on Sept 5, 2006 that scholars
need to examine the term "vande". He asked, "Does it mean salutation
or worship?"[9]

[edit] Sikh Institutions and Vande Mataram

Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee or SGPC, the paramount

representative body in the Sikh Panth, stated through its media
department that all its 100 schools and colleges had been ordered to
say `No' to the song. In a subsequent interview their chief Jathedar
Avtar Singh Makkar stated that "The Sikh children would sing Vande
Mataram and Deh Shiva Var Mohe, the song scripted by tenth Guru of
the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh in the morning prayers". He also said
"What is wrong with the Vande Mataram? It is a national song and
speaks of patriotism. We are part of the Indian nation and Sikhs have
greatly contributed for its independence."[10] However Dal Khalsa, Delhi
Sikh Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee and other International Sikh
organisations supporting Khalistan have criticized the SGPC chief.[11]

[edit] Christian institutions and Vande Mataram

Fr Cyprian Kullu, in Bihar said in an interview with AsiaNews: "The song

is a part of our history and national festivity and religion should not be
dragged into such mundane things. The Vande Mataram is simply a
national song without any connotation that could violate the tenets of
any religion."[12] However some Christian institutions such as Our Lady
of Fatima Convent School in Patiala did not sing the song on its 100th
anniversary as mandated by the state.[13]

[edit] Vande Mataram in Movies

The Vande Mataram theme has been used on a few Bollywood movie
songs. In 1954, poet Pradeep used the expression in a song in Jagriti:
aao bachchon tumhen dikhaayen jhaanki hindustaan ki
is mitti se tilak karo ye dharati hai balidaan ki
vande maataram ... [14]
The most recent song inspired by Vande Mataram is in Lage Raho
Munnabhai:
Ainak pehne, lathi pakde chalte the woh shaan se
Zaalim kaape thar thar, thar thar, sun kar unka naam re.
Kadd tha unka chota sa aur sarpat unki chal re
Duble se patle se the woh, chalte seena taan ke
Bande mein tha dum, Vande Mataram [15]

[edit] Text of Vande Mataram

[edit] Version adopted by Congress, 1905

In Devanagari script
वनदे मातरम्
सुजला सुफला मलयजशीतलाम्
शसयशयामला मातरम् |
शुभ जयोतसना पुलिित यािमनीम्
फुलल िुसुिमत दमुदलशोििनीम् ,
सुहािसनी सुमधुर िाििणीम्
सुखदा वरदा मातरम् ||
Devanagari transliteration
vande mātaram
sujalāṃ suphalāṃ
In Bengali script
বেে মাতরম
সুজলাং সুফলাং মলযজশীতলাম
শসয শযামলাং মাতরম |
শভ োজযাতস পুলিিত যািমনীম
ফুল িুসুিমত দমদলেশািিনীম,
সুহািসনীং সুমধুর িািিণীম
সুখদাং বরদাং মাতরম ||
Bengali Romanization
bônde matorom
shujolang shufolang
 malayajaśītalām
sasya śyāmalāṃ mātaram
śubhra jyotsnā pulakita
yāminīm
phulla kusumita
drumadalaśobhinīm
suhāsinīṃ sumadhura
bhāṣiṇīm
sukhadāṃ varadāṃ mātaram
[edit] Full Version in Anandamath
In Devanagari script
सुजला सुफला मलयजशीतलाम्
शसयशयामला मातरम् .
शुभ-जयोतसनाम् पुलिितयािमनीम्
फुललिुसुिमत दमुदलशोििनीम् ,
सुहािसनी सुमधुर िाििणीम् .
सुखदा वरदा मातरम् ॥
सपतिोिि िणठ िलिल िननाद िराले
ििसपत िोिि िुजैधधत खरिरवाले
िे बोले मा तुमी अबले
बहबुल धािरणीम् नमािम तािरणीम्
िरपुदलवािरणीम् मातरम् ॥
तुिम िवदा तुिम धमध, तुिम हिद तुिम ममध
तव ि ं ह पाणाःशरीरे
बाहतु े तुिम मा शिित,
हृदये तुिम मा ििित,
तोमारै पितमा गिि मिनदरे-मिनदरे ॥
तव ि ं ह दगुादशपहरणधािरणी
िमला िमलदल िवहािरणी
वाणी िवदादाियनी, नमािम तवाम्
नमािम िमला अमला अतुलाम्
सुजला सुफला मातरम् ॥
शयामला सरला सुिसमता िूििताम्
धरणी िरणी मातरम् ॥
[edit] Translation
môloeôjoshitolam
shoshsho shêmolang matorom
shubhro jotsna pulokito jaminim
fullo kushumito
drumodôloshobhinim
shuhashining shumodhuro
bhashinim
shukhodang bôrodang matorom
In Bengali script
সুজলাং সুফলাং মলয়জশীতলাম
শসযশযামলাং মাতরম॥
শভেজযাতসা পুলিিতযািমনীম
পুলিুসুিমত দমদলেশািিনীম
সুহািসনীং সুমধুর িািিণীম
সুখদাং বরদাং মাতরম॥
োিািি োিািি িণ িলিলিননাদ িরােল
োিািি োিািি িুৈজধৃৃতখরিরবােল
োি বেল মা তুিম অবেল
বহবলধািরণীং নমািম তািরণীম
িরপুদলবািরণীং মাতরম॥
তুিম িবদযা তুিম ধমৃ, তুিম হিদ তুিম মমৃ
তং িহ পাণ শরীের
বাহেত তুিম মা শিি
হদেয় তুিম মা িিি
োতামাৈর পিতমা গিি় মিেের মিেের॥
তং িহ দগৃা দশপহরণধািরণী
িমলা িমলদল িবহািরণী
বাণী িবদযাদািয়নী তাম
নমািম িমলাং অমলাং অতুলাম
সুজলাং সুফলাং মাতরম॥
শযামলাং সরলাং সুিিতাং িূিিতাম
ধরণীং িরণীং মাতরম॥
 Mother, I salute thee!
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
bright with orchard gleams,
Cool with thy winds of delight,
Green fields waving Mother of might,
Mother free.
Glory of moonlight dreams,
Over thy branches and lordly streams,
Clad in thy blossoming trees,
Mother, giver of ease
Laughing low and sweet!
Mother I kiss thy feet,
Speaker sweet and low!
Mother, to thee I bow.
Who hath said thou art weak in thy lands
When swords flash out in seventy million hands
And seventy million voices roar
Thy dreadful name from shore to shore?
With many strengths who art mighty and stored,
To thee I call Mother and Lord!
Thou who saves, arise and save!
To her I cry who ever her foe drove
Back from plain and sea
And shook herself free.
Thou art wisdom, thou art law,
Thou art heart, our soul, our breath
Though art love divine, the awe
In our hearts that conquers death.
Thine the strength that nerves the arm,
Thine the beauty, thine the charm.
Every image made divine
In our temples is but thine.
Thou art Durga, Lady and Queen,
With her hands that strike and her
swords of sheen,
Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned,
And the Muse a hundred-toned,
Pure and perfect without peer,
Mother lend thine ear,
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
Bright with thy orchard gleems,
Dark of hue O candid-fair
In thy soul, with jewelled hair
And thy glorious smile divine,
Loveliest of all earthly lands,
Showering wealth from well-stored hands!
 Mother, mother mine!
Mother sweet, I bow to thee,
Mother great and free!
translated by Sri Aurobindo

[edit] Miscellany
1. The fact that Vande Mataram is still popular today can be attested to by the fact
that in 2002 it was the voted the second most requested song by listeners on the
BBC's World Service radio. However, in the final ranking details, the origin was
miscredited to a 1950's film.[16]
2. Throughout its history there have been numerous remakes, recreations, and
interpretations of this song. Notable is music composer A. R. Rahman's Vande
Mataram released to commemorate fifty years of India's Independence in 1997
produced by Bharat Bala Productions.
3. The controversy surrounding Vande Mataram is not unique. There has also been
some controversy around Jana Gana Mana as the national anthem.
4. This is not the only song/verse with Vande Mataram as a start. There is a Sanskrit
verse that has been quoted since time immemorial; and is very popular as a
felicitation/sloka singing in south Indian carnatic music. The verses are as
follows:

Vande maataram Ambikaam Bhagavathi

Vaaneeramaa Sevitham Kalyaani Kamaneeya Kalpalathikaa Kailaasa
Naadha Priyaam Vedaantha Prathipaadyamaana Vibhavam Vidhvan
Manoranjani Sri Chakraankitha Ratna Peettha Nilayaam Sreeraja
Rajeswari Sreeraja Rajeswari
Sreeraja Rajeswari

[edit] See also

• Indian National Anthem
• Saare Jahan Se Achcha

[edit] References
1. ^ a b c d e f g http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/mataram.htm
2. ^ Chakrabarty, Bidyut (1997). Local Politics and Indian Nationalism: Midnapur (1919-
1944). New Delhi: Manohar, 167.
3. ^ http://rajyasabha.nic.in/photo/pm/p2.html
4. ^ (Letter #314, Selected Letters of Rabindranath Tagore, edited by K. Datta and A.
Robinson, Cambridge University Press)
5. ^ "BJP vs Congress: It’s Vande vs Kandahar", Asian Age, 2006-08-28.
6. ^ a b c http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5324398.stm
 7. ^
http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20060906&fname=vandematarm&sid=1
8. ^ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1964371.cms
9. ^ http://www.ibnlive.com/news/if-vande-means-salutation-muslims-to-sing-along/20762-
3.html
10. ^ http://indiamonitor.com/news/readNews.jsp?ni=564
11. ^ http://www.sikhsangat.org/publish/article_1327.shtml
12. ^ http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=7158
13. ^ http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/view/1477/38/
14. ^
http://www.hindilyrix.com/songs/get_song_Aao%20Bachhon%20Tumhen%20Dikhaaye.
html
15. ^ http://www.lagerahomunnabhai.com/a5.htm
16. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/us/features/topten/profiles/index.shtml#vande

[edit] Notes
1. Much Ado About A Song By Sumit Sarkar The Times of India, Bangalore, August
31, 2006.

Jana Gana Mana

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Sheet music for Jana Gana Mana.

Jana Gana Mana (Bengali: জন গণ মন Jôno Gôno Mono; Sanskrit: जन गण
मन[1]Jana Gana Mana— "Thou art the ruler of the minds of All People"[2])
is the national anthem of India. Originally written in Bengali, it is the
first of five stanzas of an ode composed and scored by Nobel laureate
Rabindranath Tagore. This was first sung on 27 December 1911, at the
Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress, Jana Gana Mana was
officially adopted by the Constituent Assembly as the Indian national
anthem in January 24, 1950.[3][4][5] A formal rendition of the national
anthem takes fifty two seconds. A shortened version consisting of the
first and last lines (and taking about 20 seconds to play) is also staged
occasionally.[3] The music for the current version is derived from a
composition for the song by Ram Singh Thakur.[6]
Contents
[hide]

• 1 Lyrics
o 1.1 Translation into English
• 2 Controversies
• 3 English composition in Madanapalle
• 4 Media
• 5 See also
• 6 Notes
• 7 References

• 8 External links

[edit] Lyrics
Although written in Bengali, the pronunciation of the anthem varies
considerably across India due to the country's extensive linguistic
diversity. The transcription below reflects the original Bengali
pronunciation, in both the Bengali script and Romanization. Many of
the silent letters found in the lyrics are pronounced by speakers of
other Indian languages, reflecting a spelling pronunciation of the
Bengali text, and often matching the pronunciation of the cognate
words in the speaker's native language.

Bengali script Bengali romanisation NLK romanisation

জন গণ মন Jôno gôno mono Jana gaṇa mana
odhinaeoko jôeô adhināyaka jaya
অিধনায়ি জয় োহ he
িারত িাগয িবধাতা Bharoto bhaggo
hē
bidhata Bhārata bhāgya
পঞাব িসনু গজরাি
Pônjabo Shindhu bidhātā
মরাঠা Gujoraţo Môraţha Pañjāba Sindhu
 Gujarāṭa Marāṭhā
Drābiḍa Utkala
Drabiŗo Utkôlo Baṅga
দািবি় উত‌ি‍ ল বঙ Bônggo
Bindhya Himācala
Bindho
িবনয িহমাচল যমুনা Himachôlo ẏamunā Gaṅgā
গঙা Jomuna Gôngga Ucchala jaladhi
উচল জলিধ তরঙ Uchchhôlo jôlodhi taraṅga
toronggo Taba śubha nāmē
তব শি নােম জােগ Tôbo shubho
তব শি আিশস name jage
jāgē
মােগ Tôbo shubho Taba śubha āśisa
ashish mage māgē
গােহ তব জয়গাথা Gahe tôbo Gāhē taba jaya
জন গণ মঙল দায়ি jôeogatha gāthā
জয় োহ Jôno gôno
monggolo daeoko
Jana gaṇa maṅgala
িারত িাগয িবধাতা jôeô he dāyaka jaya hē
জয় োহ, জয় োহ, Bharoto bhaggo Bhārata bhāgya
জয় োহ, bidhata bidhātā
Jôeo he, jôeo he, Jaya hē jaya hē
জয় জয় জয়, জয় jôeo he,
োহ॥ jôeo jôeo jôeo, jaya hē
jôeo he Jaya jaya jaya jaya
hē
[citation needed]

[edit] Translation into English

O! Dispenser of India's destiny, thou art the ruler of the

minds of all people.
Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat, the
Maratha country,
in the Dravida country, Utkala (Orissa) and Bengal;
It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas,
it mingles in the rhapsodies of the pure waters of Jamuna
and the Ganges.
They chant only thy name.
They sing only the glory of thy victory.
They seek only thy auspicious blessings.
The salvation of all people waits in thy hands,
O dispenser of India's destiny!
Victory, Victory, Victory, Victory to thee.[citation needed]

[edit] Controversies
Rabindranath Tagore
Controversy exists regarding the appropriateness of Jana Gana Mana
as the national anthem of an independent India. The poem was
composed in December 1911, precisely at the time of the Coronation
Durbar of George V, and is a paean in praise of "the overlord of India's
destiny". The composition was first sung during a convention of the
then loyalist Indian National Congress in Calcutta on Dec. 27, 1911.[7] It
was sung on the second day of the convention, and the agenda of that
day devoted itself to a loyal welcome of George V on his visit to India.
The event was reported thus in the Indian press:

"The Bengali poet Babu Rabindranath Tagore sang a song

composed by him specially to welcome the Emperor."
(Statesman, Dec. 28, 1911)
"The proceedings began with the singing by Babu
Rabindranath Tagore of a song specially composed by him
in honour of the Emperor." (Englishman, Dec. 28, 1911)
"When the proceedings of the Indian National Congress
began on Wednesday 27th December 1911, a Bengali song
in welcome of the Emperor was sung. A resolution
welcoming the Emperor and Empress was also adopted
unanimously." (Indian, Dec. 29, 1911)

The belief gained ground that the poem had been written in honour of
the visiting monarch. Others aver that the newspaper reports cited
above were misguided, the confusion arising since a different song,
written in Hindi by Rambhuj Chaudhary, was sung [8] on the same
occasion in praise of the monarch. However, the two poems were
written in different languages; Tagore already enjoyed much fame in
India, and newspaper reports are both consistent and categorical on
the point of Tagore having himself sung his composition on the
occasion.
Other explanations for the motivations that informed the creation of
the poem have been proposed. On a visit to India, the poet Yeats
received a visit from an Indian admirer who was also, in Yeats' words,
"an Indian devotee" of Tagore. In a letter to a lady friend, Yeats quoted
this unnamed devotee as giving him a 'strictly off the records' version
of events dealing with the writing of Jana Gana Mana. That version, as
presented in 1968 by the Indian Express newspaper, was this:

"He (Tagore) got up very early in the morning and wrote a

very beautiful poem.... When he came down, he said to one
of us, 'Here is a poem which I have written. It is addressed
to God, but give it to Congress people. It will please them."
[9]

Thus, Tagore is said to have written the poem in honour of God. In a

letter to Pulin Behari Sen, Tagore himself wrote: [10]

"A certain high official in His Majesty's service, who was

also my friend, had requested that I write a song of
felicitation towards the Emperor. The request simply
amazed me. It caused a great stir in my heart. In response
to that great mental turmoil, I pronounced the victory in
Jana Gana Mana of that Bhagya Vidhata [ed. God of
Destiny] of India who has from age after age held steadfast
the reins of India's chariot through rise and fall, through
the straight path and the curved. That Lord of Destiny, that
Reader of the Collective Mind of India, that Perennial Guide,
could never be George V, George VI, or any other George.
Even my official friend understood this about the song.
After all, even if his admiration for the crown was
excessive, he was not lacking in simple common sense."

In 2005, there were calls to delete the word "Sindh" and substitute it
with the word Kashmir. The argument was that Sindh was no longer a
part of India, having become part of Pakistan as a result of the Partition
of 1947. Opponents of this proposal hold that the word "Sindh" refers
to the Indus and to Sindhi culture and people which are an integral part
of India's cultural fabric. The Supreme Court of India refused to tamper
with the national anthem and the wording remains unchanged.

[edit] English composition in Madanapalle

Rabindranath Tagore translated Jana Gana Mana from Bengali to
English and also set it to music in Madanapalle, a town in Andhra
Pradesh.
Though the Bengali song had been written in 1911 itself, it had
remained largely confined to the pages of the Arya Samaj journal,
"Tatva Bodha Prakasika", of which Tagore was the editor.
During 1918-19, Tagore accepted an invitation from friend and
controversial Irish poet James H. Cousins to spend a few days at the
Besant Theosophical College, of which Cousins was the principal. On
the evening of February 28, he joined a gathering of students and upon
Cousins' request, sang the Jana Gana Mana in Bengali. In the days that
followed, enchanted by the dreamy hills of Madanapalle, Tagore wrote
down the English translation of the song and along with Cousins' wife,
Margaret (an expert in Western music), set down the notation which is
followed till this day.[11]
Today, in the library of Besant Theosophical College in Madanapalle,
the framed original English translation is displayed.

[edit] Media
• Jana Gana Mana Instrumental (file info) — play in browser (beta)
o Instrumental version of Jana Gana Mana, performed by the US Navy Band
• Problems playing the files? See media help.

[edit] See also

• Vande Mataram
• Jana Gana Mana Video

[edit] Notes
1. ^ Jana Gana Mana Highly Sanskrit. Education Department of India. National Informatics
Centre (NIC). Retrieved on 2007-07-16. “The national Anthem of India, Jana-Gana-
Mana, composed by Rabindranath Tagore, is 90% Sanskrit and 10% Sanskritic, and
hence is understood all over India.”
2. ^ Jana Gana Mana (India's National Anthem) - An Inferential Linguistic Analysis
(HTML). Hamilton Institute. Retrieved on 2007-07-16.
3. ^ a b National Anthem - Know India. Nation Portal of India. Government of India.
4. ^ (1999) in Bhatt, P.C.: Constituent Assembly Debates. Lok Sabha Secretariat.
5. ^ Volume XII. Tuesday, the 24th January 1950. Online Transcript, Constituent Assembly
Debates
6. ^ A tribute to the legendary composer of National Anthem The Tribune
7. ^ Rabindranath Tagore
8. ^ India: Are we still singing for the Empire? by Pradip Kumar Datta
9. ^ Genesis of Jana Gana Mana
 10. ^ Tagore and Jana Gana Mana, Monish R. Chatterjee, University of Dayton.
11. ^ Vani Doraisamy. India beats: A Song for the Nation (HTML) (English). The Hindu.
Retrieved on 2007-07-25.

[edit] References
• Dutta, K & A Robinson (1995), Rabindranath Tagore: The Myriad-Minded Man,
St. Martin's Press, ISBN 0-312-14030-4.

2.