Jana Gana Mana — Indian National Anthem on Harmonium

Overview

Jana Gana Mana is the national anthem of India, composed by Rabindranath Tagore in 1911. It was adopted as the national anthem on January 24, 1950. The melody is accessible to beginners and uses mostly natural (shuddh) notes from the Bilawal thaat.

Notation

Play along with the sargam notation below. Each line corresponds to one phrase of the anthem.

Stanza 1

Sargam	Lyrics
Sa Sa Sa Sa Re Ga Ga Ga-Ga	Ja-na ga-na ma-na a-dhi-na-ya-ka
Re Re Re Re-Ma Ga Re Sa	ja-ya he Bha-ra-ta bhag-ya vi-dha-ta
Pa Pa Pa Pa-Dha Pa Ga Re	Pan-ja-ba Sin-dhu Gu-ja-ra-ta Ma-ra-tha
Ga Ga Ga-Ma Ga Re Sa	Dra-vi-da Ut-ka-la Ban-ga

Stanza 2

Sargam	Lyrics
Sa’ Sa’ Sa’-Ni Dha Pa-Ga	Vin-dhya Hi-ma-cha-la Ya-mu-na Gan-ga
Re Ga Ma Ga Re Sa	uch-cha-la ja-la-dhi ta-ran-ga

Key Information

• Scale: C major (Sa = C)
• Time Signature: 6/8 (Dadra-like feel)
• Tempo: ~72 BPM (moderate, dignified pace)
• Duration: 52 seconds (official timing)

Practice Tips

1. Start by playing just the sargam without worrying about rhythm
2. The melody stays within one octave (Sa to Sa’) — no need for the lower register
3. Pay attention to the Ga-Ga and Ma-Ga phrases — these define the melodic character
4. Practice at 60 BPM first, then gradually increase to 72 BPM
5. Use the sustain on Sa and Pa notes — these serve as anchor points

Historical Context

Tagore composed this hymn in highly Sanskritized Bengali. The original was first performed at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress on December 27, 1911. The anthem encompasses the geographic and cultural diversity of India, naming specific regions and natural landmarks.