Independence Day 2021: Lesser-known facts everyone should know about the National Anthem; check here

Our National Anthem Jana Gana Mana was taught to us in school. We grew up singing the solemn patriotic song that exhibits pride, and national allegiance. Whenever it is played, every Indian across the world feels proud  to be a part of the nation. Written by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, the song acts as a catalyst to the feeling of national pride and represents the unity in a diverse India. Originally the song was composed in Bengali from Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata which was written by Tagore himself. Ahead of the 75th Independence Day, check out a few interesting facts about our the National Anthem —

• Jana Gana Mana was first publicly sung on 27 December 1911 on the second day of the Calcutta Session held by the Indian National Congress. It was sung by Tagore himself.
• The song consists of five stanzas in Sanskritised Bengali, of which only the first stanza is commonly known and sung by citizens across the country
• The script of the National Anthem was first written on 11 December 1911 to reflect India’s culture, values, and independence. It was first published in a Bengali newspaper called Tattwabodhini Patrika in 1905
• The first stanza of the song Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata was officially approved by the Constituent Assembly as the National Anthem of India on 24 January 1950
• The complete National Anthem is usually sung within 52 seconds while its shorter version, which only consists of the first and last para, takes about 20 seconds
• From sanskritised Bengali, the national anthem’s Hindi-Urdu version was commissioned by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose while the translation was written by Captain Abid Ali of the Indian National Army
• Tagore has not only written the National Anthem for India, but also for Bangladesh which is titled Amar Sonar Bangla
• On 24 January 1950, the song was officially declared as India’s National Anthem