The Times of India News

This day, that year: December 27, 1911 When Jana Gana Mana was first sung in Calcutta

Rabindranath Tagore's patriotic song, 'Jana Gana Mana' was sung publicly for the first time at a 1911 Congress session. It ultimately evolved into becoming India's National Anthem. Initially met with controversy regarding its inspiration, Tagore clarified it honored a timeless guiding spirit, not a monarch. Adopted in 1950 as the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana became a unifying national voice.