New Delhi: He had once fired a nation's patriotism with verses espousing freedom from imperialism, a 100 years later, Rabindranath Tagore’s ode to the motherland still has the power to move a country of a billion people to tears in a fierce show of nationalism.
As the opening strands of 'Jana Gana Mana' started to play at Mumbai's Wankhede stadium on Saturday before the final clash between India and Sri Lanka, a nation rose to its feet and life came to standstill for a minute across the country.
It was a moment like no other for every Indian, going into a big ticket game against a seemingly unbeatable side.
Shopowners rose behind their cash counters, people inside offices tore away from their keypads, squatters at tea shops put down their glasses and motorists halted by the roadside.
It was a goosebump moment for thousands of fans as they joined the Indian cricket team and the band in singing stanzas of the anthem. The looks on their faces said it all.
From being relegated to a routine exercise at Independence Day and Republic Day functions at schools and colleges, the national anthem has, all of a sudden, become a rallying point and a symbol of hope for millions of Indians, in their show of intense patriotism.
Vande Mataram vs Jana Gana Mana vs De Ghumake?
The cricket tournament has breathed new life into the Indian national anthem, the popularity of which was on a downward trend following repeated calls by Hindu rightwingers to replace it with Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s more fiery 'Vande Mataram'.
Tagore's 'Jana Gana Mana' was chosen as the National Anthem of the 1947 Republic of India after the secularism of 'Vande Mataram', that alluded to the motherland as goddess Durga, was doubted by Muslims, Christians, Parsis, Sikhs, Arya Samajis and others who opposed idol worship.
A preppy but heartfelt rendition of the national anthem by two of India's music legends – AR Rahman and Lata Mangeshkar – have found huge resonance among a new generation of brand conscious young Indians hooked to modern music and internet downloads.
While composers Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy's 'De Ghumake' number gathered tempo during India's initial campaign at the tournament over television and radio, the poignancy of the do-or-die moment as the team entered the stadium, was only captured by the national anthem as every Indian prayed for the 11 men it pinned its hopes on.
Anthem goes viral
As a resurgent India redefines traditional patriotism, the song that united a billion people in fervour and hope, was also the most talked about on the Internet.
People looked up the national anthem on Google, tweeted to each other about how proud they felt singing it from wherever they were on Saturday, downloaded different versions of the song from YouTube and posted videos of them singing along as it played on television at the beginning of the match.
Did you know?
The Ministry of Home Affairs, has from time to time, issued detailed instructions on the correct versions of the anthem, the occasions on which it is to be played or sung, and about the need for paying respect to the anthem by observance of proper decorum on such occasions.
The playing time of the full version of the anthem is approximately 52 seconds. A shorter version consisting of the first and last lines is also played on certain occasions. Playing time of the short version is about 20 seconds.
According to MHA, the full version of the anthem can be played during Civil and Military investitures, National Salute (which means the Command 'Rashtriya Salute' to the accompaniment of the National Anthem is given on ceremonial occasions to the President or to the Governor/Lieutenant Governor within their respective States/Union Territories or parades.
It can also be played on arrival of the President at formal State functions and other functions organized by the Government and mass functions and on his departure from such functions, or immediately before and after the President addresses the Nation over All India Radio.
According to the guidelines, normally the anthem is not played for the Prime Minister, except for special occasions.
When the national anthem is played by a band, it is preceded by a drum roll to assist the audience to know that the anthem is going to be played. The duration of the roll, in terms of marching drill, is seven paces in slow march. The roll starts slowly, ascends to as loud a volume as possible and then gradually decreases to original softness, but remaining audible until the seventh beat.
At receptions to foreign dignitaries in India, the full version of the National Anthem of the visiting dignitary's country should be played first, followed by the full version of the National Anthem of India.
According to the rules, whenever the anthem is sung or played, the audience will have to stand to attention. However, when in the course of a newsreel or documentary the anthem is played as a part of the film, it is not expected of the audience to stand as standing is bound to interrupt the exhibition of the film and would create disorder and confusion rather than add to the dignity of the anthem.
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