NATIONAL ANTHEM
- The song Jana-gana-mana, composed originally in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore, was adopted in its Hindi version as the National Anthem of India on 24th January 1950.
- lt was first sung on 27th December, 1911 at the Kolkata Session of the Indian National Congress.
- It has five stanzas with first stanza containing the full version of the National Anthem.
- The duration of the national anthem is approximately 52 seconds.
- A short version consisting of the first and last lines of the stanza (playing time approximately 20 seconds) is also played on Certain occasions.
NATIONAL SONG
- The song Vande Mataram, composed in Sanskrit by Bankimchandra Chatterji, was a source of inspiration to the people in their struggle for freedom. It has an equal status with jana-gana-mana.
- It was first sung at the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress.
NATIONAL CALENDAR
- The national calendar based on the Saka Era, with Chaitra as its first month and a normal year of 365 days was adopted from 22nd March, 1957 along with the Gregorian calendar for: (i) Gazette of India, (ii) news broadcast by All India Radio, (iii) calendars issued by the Government of India and (iv) Government communications addressed to the public.
- Dates of the national calendar have a permanent correspondence with dates of the Gregorian calendar, 1 Chaitra falling on 22 March normally and on 21 March in leap year.
