National Anthem "Jana Gana Mana"

Facts about "Jana Gana Mana" - Just a thought for the National Anthem!
How well do you know about it?

First of all what is Anthem? Do you know?
Well, the meaning of Anthem is:
1. A song of devotion or loyalty (as to a nation or school)
2. A song of praise (to God or to a saint or to a nation)

I have always wondered who is the "adhinayak" and "bharat bhagya vidhata", whose praise we are singing. I thought might be Motherland! Our current National Anthem "Jana Gana Mana" is sung throughout the country.

Did you know the following about our National Anthem, I didn't.

To begin with, India's National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka, was originally composed by Rabindranath Tagore which was adopted in its Hindi version by Constituent Assembly as National Anthem of India on January 24, 1950. It was first sung on December 27, 1911 at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress.

"Jana Gana Mana" - "Thou Art the Ruler of all Minds"

The complete song consists of five stanzas.
Following is a translation of the five stanzas:

Thou are the ruler of the minds of all people, dispenser of India's destiny.

The name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind, Gujurat and Maratha. Of the Dravid and Orissa and Bengal.

It Echoes in the hills of Vindhyas and Himalayas, mingles in the music of Yamuna and Ganga and is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea.

They pray for your blessing and sing thy praise. The salvation of all peaople is thy hand, thou dispenser of India's destiny. Victory, Victory, Victory to thee.

Controversy:
There is some controversy surrounding the appropriateness of this poem to be the National Anthem of independent India.This poem was first sung during a convening of the Indian National Congress in 1911. Rabindranath Tagore had submitted the poem as a paean of India's divine destiny, and it was sung on the first day of the convening. The day after, a welcome was given to King George V on his visit to India. It was assumed henceforth by many that it had been written for the King. However, Tagore is said to have written the poem in honour of God. In particular, given the great patriotism of Tagore, and his involvement in the freedom struggle, people are skeptical that the "protector" refers to the British monarch. Indeed, one of Tagore's greatest moments was his refusal of the British knighthood on grounds of the empire's immoral dealings in its rule of India, a title offered to him by none other than the king (George) about whom some feel Tagore was writing!

I Hope , after reading this article you now know something about our National Anthem and this would help other readers too know about our National Anthem.