This day, that year: Dec 27, 1911 — When ‘Jana Gana Mana’ was 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.