Composed by Rabindranath Tagore the song Jana-gana-mana is the National Anthem of India. The song was first sung at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress on December 27, 1911. It was adopted by the Constituents Assembly of India on January 24, 1950 as India’s National Anthem. The complete song consists of five stanzas but the first stanza constitutes the full version of the National Anthem.

The playing time of the full version of the national Anthem is about 52 seconds. However, a shorter version compressing the first and last lines of the stanza, which has a playing time of about 20 seconds, is played on some occasions. It reads:

            Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka, jaya he

            Bharata-bhagya-vidhata

            Punjab-Sindh-Gujarat-Maratha

            Dravida-Utkala-Banga

            Vindhya-Himachal-Yamuna-Ganga

            Uchhala-jaladhi-taranga.

            Tava subha name jage,

            Tava subha asisa mange,

            Gahe tava subha gatha,

            Jana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya he

            Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.

            Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he,

            Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he !

The English rendering of the song, as given by Rabindranath Tagore, is as follows:

       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 Vindhyas and
       Himalayas,
       Mingles in the music of Jamuna and Ganges,
       And is chanted by the waves of the Indian
       Sea.
       They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise.
       The savings of all people waits in thy
       hand, thou dispenser of India’s destiny.
       Victory, Victory to thee.

National Anthem of India