Rabindranath Tagore's "Jana Gana Mana" was adopted as India's National Anthem. How many stanzas of the song were adopted?
VerifiedAnswer: Only the 1st stanza (Totally it has 5 Stanzas)
Explanation:
India's national anthem "Jana Gana Mana" has an interesting history that every student should know. While Rabindranath Tagore originally composed this beautiful song with five complete stanzas, only the first stanza was officially adopted as our national anthem by the Constituent Assembly on January 24, 1950.
The first stanza that we all sing today begins with "Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka Jaya He" and takes approximately 52 seconds to sing when performed at the recommended tempo. This stanza beautifully captures the essence of India's diversity by mentioning various regions like Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat, Maratha, Dravida, Orissa, and Bengal, representing the unity of our vast nation.
Tagore wrote the original song in Bengali in 1911, and the version we sing is a Hindi adaptation of that first stanza. The remaining four stanzas, while equally meaningful and poetic, were not included in the official national anthem. This decision was made to keep the anthem concise and suitable for formal occasions and ceremonies.
It's worth noting that the complete song reflects Tagore's vision of India as a unified nation despite its cultural and linguistic diversity. The poet-laureate crafted each stanza with deep thought and patriotic fervor, but the single stanza format makes our national anthem practical for daily use in schools, government functions, and national celebrations across the country.
