National Song of India

Composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterji in Sanskrit, the song Vande Mataram was primarily conceived to serve as a motivation to the people in their freedom struggle. Though it was penned down in 1876, the first publication emerged in the year 1882 in 'Anandamatha' amidst doubts of a ban by the British Raj. 

Sharing an equal status with Jana-gana-mana (National Anthem of India), the song was first sung in the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress. Vande Mataram served as a voice against British rule during the freedom struggle. Initially, people with patriotic fervor flocked the streets of Calcutta and other metropolis, shouting the slogan 'Vande Mataram' or 'Hail to the Mother (land)!'

Terrified by the impending danger, British banned the expression of song and imprisoned freedom fighters, who disobeyed the command. 

 Vande Mataram initially served as the National Anthem of India, but later Jana-gana-mana was adopted as the anthem of independent India. This was because the Muslim sect in India felt that the song was biased, as it depicted the nation as 'Ma Durga', a Hindu Goddess. Though Vande Mataram aptly illustrated the pre-independence national zeal and passion, it was espoused as the National Song of India. In the following lines, we have provided the wordings of the National Song of India and its English translation.

National Song Of India
 
Vande maataraM
sujalaaM suphalaaM malayaja shiitalaaM
SasyashyaamalaaM maataram ||

Shubhrajyotsnaa pulakitayaaminiiM
pullakusumita drumadala shobhiniiM
suhaasiniiM sumadhura bhaashhiNiiM
sukhadaaM varadaaM maataraM ||

Koti koti kantha kalakalaninaada karaale
koti koti bhujai.rdhR^itakharakaravaale
abalaa keno maa eto bale
bahubaladhaariNiiM namaami taariNiiM
ripudalavaariNiiM maataraM ||

Tumi vidyaa tumi dharma
tumi hR^idi tumi marma
tvaM hi praaNaaH shariire

Baahute tumi maa shakti
hR^idaye tumi maa bhakti
tomaara i pratimaa gaDi
mandire mandire ||

TvaM hi durgaa dashapraharaNadhaariNii
kamalaa kamaladala vihaariNii
vaaNii vidyaadaayinii namaami tvaaM

Namaami kamalaaM amalaaM atulaaM
SujalaaM suphalaaM maataraM ||

ShyaamalaaM saralaaM susmitaaM bhuushhitaaM
DharaNiiM bharaNiiM maataraM |"
 
English Translation
 
Mother, I bow to thee!
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
bright with orchard gleams,
Cool with thy winds of delight,
Dark fields waving Mother of might,
Mother free.

Glory of moonlight dreams,
Over thy branches and lordly streams,
Clad in thy blossoming trees,
Mother, giver of ease
Laughing low and sweet!
Mother I kiss thy feet,
Speaker sweet and low!
Mother, to thee I bow.

Who hath said thou art weak in thy lands
When the sword flesh out in the seventy million hands
And seventy million voices roar
Thy dreadful name from shore to shore?
With many strengths who art mighty and stored,
To thee I call Mother and Lord!
Though who savest, arise and save!
To her I cry who ever her foeman drove
Back from plain and Sea
And shook herself free.

Thou art wisdom, thou art law,
Thou art heart, our soul, our breath
Though art love divine, the awe
In our hearts that conquers death.
Thine the strength that nervs the arm,
Thine the beauty, thine the charm.
Every image made divine
In our temples is but thine.

Thou art Durga, Lady and Queen,
With her hands that strike and her
swords of sheen,
Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned,
And the Muse a hundred-toned,
Pure and perfect without peer,
Mother lend thine ear,
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
Bright with thy orchard gleems,
Dark of hue O candid-fair

In thy soul, with jewelled hair
And thy glorious smile divine,
Lovilest of all earthly lands,
Showering wealth from well-stored hands!
Mother, mother mine!
Mother sweet, I bow to thee,
Mother great and free!

The National Anthem of India - Patriotic Song

Rabindranath Tagore

 Facts About National Anthem

• The Indian National anthem, originally composed  in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore, was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly as the National Anthem of India on 24 January 1950. 
•  It was first sung on 27 December 1911 at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress. The complete song consists of five stanzas. 
•  Playing time of full version of the National Anthem is  approximately 52 seconds. The lyrics were rendered into English by Rabindranath Tagore himself.

National Anthem In Hindi

जन गण मन अधिनायक जय हे
भारत भाग्यविधाता
पंजाब सिन्धु गुजरात मराठा
द्राविड़ उत्कल बंगा
विन्ध्य हिमाचल यमुना गंगा
उच्छल जलधि तरंगा
तव शुभ नामे जागे
तव शुभ आशीष मांगे

गाहे तव जयगाथा

जन गण मंगलदायक जय हे

भारत भाग्यविधाता

जय हे, जय हे, जय हे

जय जय जय जय हे!

National Anthem In English

Jana gana mana adhi naayaka jaya hai!
Bhaarat bhaagya vidhaata
Punjab Sindh Gujarat Maraatha,
Dravid Utkala Bangaa.
Vindhya Himachala Yamuna Ganga,
Uchhala jaladhi taranga.
Tava shubh naame jaage,
Tava shubh aashish maage,
Gahe tava jaya-gaatha.

Jana-gana-mangaladayaka jaya hai!
Bharat bhagya vidhata.
Jaya hai! Jaya hai! Jaya hai!
Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya hai!

Translation In English

"Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people,
dispenser of India's destiny.
The name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind, Gujarat and Maratha,
of the Dravid and Orissa and Bengal;
It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas,
mingles in the music of the Yamuna and Ganga
and is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea.
They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise.
The salvation of all people is in thy hand,
thou dispenser of India's destiny.
Victory, victory, victory to thee."

The Story Behind Translation

• Jana Gana Mana was translated, from Sanskrit to English, by Rabindranath Tagore and the music on this English Translation was set in Madanapalle, a small town in Andhra Pradesh. 

• As to the story behind this translation, in 1918 Tagore was invited, by controversial Irish poet James H. Cousins, to spend a few days at the Besant Theosophical College (BTC). James was serving as the principal of the college, at that time.

• On February 28, while attending a gathering of students at BTC, Rabindranath sang the Jana Gana Mana in Bengali. Suddenly, he thought of translating the song in English. A few days later, in Madanapalle, Tagore wrote down the English translation of the song. Cousins' wife, Margaret, who was an expert in Western music, set down the music for this English version. 

• The framed original English translation is still displayed in the library of Besant Theosophical College in Madanapalle.

The song Jana-gana-mana, composed originally in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore, was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly as the National Anthem of India on 24 January 1950.

A formal rendition of the national anthem takes fifty two seconds.

September 14 marks 'Hindi Day' as our Raj Bhasha

Hindi is a language of harmony and understanding said Ban Ki Moon during the 8th World Hindi Conference on Hindi at United Nation headquarter in New York and surprised many by inaugurating the ceremony with Namaste! Kya Hal Chal hai?

September 14 is celebrated as Hindi Day and was adopted as the official language of Constituent assembly in 1949 on this day.

The Constitution of India adopted Hindi in Devanagri Script as the official language of the union under Article (343) in 1950.

It was envisioned that Hindi would become the sole working language of the central government by 1965, and state government will function in their own choice. But it did not happen and English is also used along with Hindi.

This decision of using Hindi met a widespread anti Hindi agitation by the non native speaker of Hindi. As a result the Official Language Act of 1963 was passed and English continued to be use as official language for indefinite period.

Hindi has a history behind; it belongs to Indo–Aryan branch of indo European language family. The word ‘Hindi’ itself is a gift of Persian, Mughals added to its flavour, Amir Khusro was first to write Hindi Poem.

Though it evolved from Sanskrit but many of its words originated from Arabic or Persian language.

This is also called as a ‘link language’, as it has united the vast Indian Diaspora and also minimized the gap between South and North India.

This language has travelled a long distance to make its presence felt in the World. It is spoken in many parts of the world and its one of the main language in Mauritius, Surinam, Trinidad and many others including US, South Africa, New Zealand etc.

If it is the mother tongue of 180 million people then it is also the second language of 300 million people.

Gandhi used this language to unite the whole India and used this language as ‘language of unity’. The word Swadeshi revolutionise the freedom struggle, and its entry into the Oxford dictionary marks its importance in world history.

Statistics are available which tells that Hindi is the second most spoken language of the world.

This entry in the world scenario was not a smooth ride. It faced lots of criticism and politics was played in its name.

Now its importance are realised, George Bush proposed a budget of $ 114 million to make Hindi a part of curriculum, to be taught from Kindergarten to graduate level. India too mooted a strategy to make Hindi as one of the official language of United Nation.

Hundreds of word has made an entry into the prestigious Oxford dictionary and others. Pundit, Guru, Nirvana, Adda, Roti are very much accepted in the whole world.

The wave of change can be seen everywhere, the same South India which was always divided on accepting Hindi as a national language. Deve Gawda in 1997 talked of promoting Hindi, then Karunanidhi recited a Hindi verse during a political campaign, and Jayalalitha against the anti-Hindi lobby campaigned in Hindi.

Hindi being a live language is gaining popularity and on the way to become a global language.

Let it be accepted by the free wills of people. Somebody said Language exerts hidden power, like a moon on the tides.

Hindi day, Hindi language - Our Rajya Basha diwas

The celebration of our Independence Day in the month of August leaves us with more reason to enjoy the spirit of patriotism by celebrating the Hindi day in September. Our national language has a special significance in touching our lives each day. Renowned poets and lyricists have conveyed via many songs the spirit of freedom felt by Indians and also extolled the beauty of poetry through Hindi.

Our Rajya Basha diwas is celebrated on September 14th as a mark of acknowledgement of the Indian official language. Hindi adopts the true spirit of Indians in terms of tolerance. Though the original Sanskrit language is known to be borrowed for Hindi, the influences of Persians and Urdu language can be very well seen here.

Hindi diwas is celebrated in many schools and colleges where it is fun to enjoy poems and exchanges in dramatic sequence highlighting the multifarious activities that can be conducted through Hindi. This is also the mother tongue for many North Indians. Despite the insistence of educational institutions to converse in English which is an international language, Hindi always continues to be the mainstay in the syllabus.

Anecdotes, jokes and drama in Hindi related to our literature are entertaining for all age groups. The Devnagri script of Hindi bridges the cultural gap that often results with people speaking diverse languages and dialects. The influence of regional language like Marathi on Hindi has led to spoken Mumbai slang which is a natural occurrence.

The essence of Hindi is felt in mythological characters, school syllabus and our daily exchange as a means of communication. The visit to theatres is characterized by respecting our National Anthem in Hindi which expresses wonderful emotions felt by all Hindustanis.

…………………………………………………………Vatan hain, Hindostan hamara.

                                                                                          Jai Hind!

English words borrowed from Hindi:

Many words were assimilated into English when India was the colony of Britain. Most are formally recognized by scholars as borrowed from Hindi while there are disputes about a few. 

 

Following are some of the words borrowed from Hindi and its parent language(s).

• ‘Bazaar’ – Market, street lined with shops

• ‘Bungalow’ – Spacious house

• ‘Coolie’ (cooly) – Unskilled laborer, normally porters in India

• ‘Guru’ – Teacher / Guide / Mentor

• ‘Khaki’ - Sturdy cloth of this color (light olive brown to moderate or light yellowish brown)

• ‘Loot’ - To pillage, spoil

• ‘Pundit’ - A learned person, source of opinion

Other facts about Hindi:

• The script being phonetic, Hindi, unlike English, is pronounced as it is written and thus, comparatively easy to learn.

• There are 33 consonants and 11 vowels in Hindi. Additionally, there are also many conjunct consonants.

• All Hindi letters have at least a partial bar at the top, which connects to the other letters in a word. There are no uppercase or lowercase forms for Hindi letters.

• Hindi's popularity has been boosted by Bollywood, the Hindi film industry. These movies are now starting to have an international appeal (largely aided by the huge Indian diaspora abroad) and have broken into the western markets as well.

• A survey in 1997 found that 66% of all Indians can speak Hindi, and 77% of the Indians regard Hindi as "one language across the nation".

Hindi Grammar and Vocabulary:

Hindi grammar differs from English grammar in many ways. 

All Hindi nouns are either masculine or feminine. For example, many (not all) Hindi adjectives change according to the gender of the noun they are linked to. 

Hindi verbs change to indicate gender of their subjects. 

Hindi language uses postpositions (which come after nouns), rather than prepositions (which come before nouns). 

English speakers will also notice that there are neither definite nor indefinite articles in the Hindi language.

Dialects of the language and where they are spoken:

Hindi has more than ten variations. 

 

• One of the most important dialects is Khariboli (also known as Khadiboli or Khari dialect), which is spoken in Western Uttar Pradesh. 

• Another dialect is Bambaiya Hindi (also Mumbaiyya), a slang form of Hindi/Urdu which is spoken primarily in Bombay (Mumbai). 

• A third important dialect is Brajbhasa, spoken in the region of Braj. 

• Among the other variations of Hindi are Kanauji, Bundeli, Bagheli, Chhattisgarhi (Lahariya or Khalwahi), Hariyanvi (Bangaru or Jatu), Bhaya, Chamari and Ghera Gowli.

Where it is spoken:

Hindi is spoken as a mother tongue by about 40 percent of the Indian population, mainly in the area known as the Hindi belt. 

In addition to being the official language of the Indian Union, it is also the official language of the Union Territory of Delhi and the states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

Outside of India, Hindi is spoken in Nepal, South Africa, Mauritius, U.K., U.S., Yemen, Uganda, Germany, New Zealand, Singapore and United Arab Emirates. Such a wide distribution makes Hindi among the 10 (some sources claim 5) most spoken languages in the world.

Differences / Similarities between Urdu and Hindi:

• Urdu, the national language of Pakistan, is pretty much the same language as Hindi. 

• In some cases it is also spoken about as Hindi-Urdu language. 

• Differences, however, exist, mostly in vocabulary, primarily because of it being spoken in different countries. 

• Since Urdu is spoken in an Islamic country, it has borrowed many words from Arabic and Persian, and thus it has an Arabic hue, whereas Hindi would rather use Sanskrit words.

• Writing system presents another difference, in that Hindi uses the Dev Naagari script, while Urdu uses a modified version of the Arabic script (or rather the script used by Persians). 

• Urdu is written from right to left, opposed to Hindi which, like English, is written from left to right.

Origins of the language and its deep relationship with Sanskrit:

Sanskrit, one of the most ancient spoken and written languages in the world and one of the earliest members of the Indo-European language family, is the primary source of Hindi. 

Hindi, like Sanskrit, is written in the Dev Naagari script, which is common to several other Indian languages as well. 

Much of the vocabulary of Hindi comes from Sanskrit, though Hindi also has a special relationship with Urdu, their grammar and much of their vocabulary being identical.

The Hindi Language

Hindi, as recognized by the Constitution of India, is the official language (in addition to English) of the Republic of India, and the common second language of Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad, Guyana and Surinam.

Hindi Language Facts

Spoken in:  India and other 16 countries

Region:  South Asia

Hindi is the second most spoken language in the world, after Chinese. About 500 million people speak Hindi, in India and abroad, and the total number of people who can understand the language may be 800 million.

Hindi's popularity has been helped by Bollywood, the Hindi film industry. These movies have an international appeal and now they have broken into the western markets as well.

Total speakers:  487 million

Official language of: India

History of the Hindi Language

Hindi shares with English and most other European languages the same ancestral roots. They evolved from a language thought to have been spoken in Central Asia around 5,000 BC, called by linguists the Indo-European parent language. For this reason (and because of the 200-year influence of the British in India), many basic words in Hindi are the same as or similar to their equivalent in English. English words of Hindi origin include cot, loot, thug, chintz, bandanna, dungaree, rajali, pundit, coolie, tom-tom, and juggernaut.

Hindi language has its roots in the classical Sanskrit language. The language acquired its current form over many centuries, and numerous dialectical variations still exist. Like Sanskrit, Hindi is written in the Dev Nagari script, which is common to several other Indian languages as well. Much of the vocabulary of Hindi comes from Sanskrit, though Hindi also has a special relationship with Urdu. Their grammar and much of their vocabulary are virtually identical. Linguists think of Hindi and Urdu as the same language, the difference being that Hindi is written in Devanagari and draws vocabulary from Sanskrit, while Urdu is written in Persian script and draws on Persian and Arabic.  

The separation is largely a political one; before the partition of India into India and Pakistan, spoken Hindi and Urdu were considered the same language, Hindustani.

The development of Hindi into a national language had its beginnings in the colonial period, when the British began to cultivate it as a standard among government officials. Later it was used for literary purposes and has since become the vehicle for some excellent prose and poetry.

After independence of India, the Government of India worked on standardizing Hindi, and the following changes took place:

• Standardization of Hindi grammar: In 1954, the Government of India set up a Committee for preparing a grammar of Hindi. The committee's report was later released as "A Basic Grammar of Modern Hindi" in 1958.

• Standardization of Hindi spelling

• Standardization of Devanagari script by Central Hindi Directorate, Ministry of Education and Culture to bring about uniformity in writing and improve the shape of some of its characters.

• Scientific mode of scribing the Devanagari alphabet.

• Incorporation of diacritics in to express sounds from other languages.

Hindi became the official language of India on January 26, 1965, although English and 21 other languages are recognised as official languages by the Constitution of India.