National Anthem -- Jana Gana Mana...

Composed by Rabindranath Tagore, the song Jana Gana Mana was first sung on December 27, 1911 at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress. On January 24, 1950, the Constituent Assembly adopted the song as the National Anthem of India.The complete song consists of five stanzas. The first stanza comprises the full version of the National Anthem.

Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka, jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vidhata

Punjaba-Sindhu-Gujarata-Maratha
Dravida-Utkala-Banga

Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga
Uchchala-Jaladhi-taranga

Tava shubha name jage
Tava shubha asisa mage
Gahe tava jaya gatha

Jana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vidhata

Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he,
Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he!

English rendering of this stanza is:

Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people,
dispenser of India's destiny.

Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind,
Gujarat and Maratha,
Of the Dravida and Orissa and Bangal;

It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas,
mingles in the music of
Jamuna and Ganges and is chanted
by the waves of the Indian Sea.

Thy name has awakened us.
We seek thy blessing
and sing thy praise.

The saving of all people waits in thy hand,
thou dispenser of India's destiny.

Victory, victory, victory to thee.

National Song -- Vande Mataram

Listen

Vande Mataram!
Sujalam, suphalam,
malayaja shitalam,
Shasyashyamalam,
Mataram!

Shubhrajyothsna
pulakitayaminim
Phullakusumita drumadala
shobinim
Suhasinim sumadhura
bhashinim,
Sukhadam varadam,
Mataram!

Sri Aurobindo Ghosh's English translation of the song

richly-watered, richly-fruited,
fanned by the cool winds from the
mountains of Malayachal,
dark with the crops of the
harvests,
The Mother!

Her nights rejoicing in the
glory of the moonlight
her lands clothed beautifully
with her trees in
flowering bloom
sweet of laughter, sweet of speech,
giver of boons, giver of bliss,
Oh Mother !

National Flag

The national flag is a horizontal tricolour of deep saffron (kesari) at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. The ratio of width of the flag to its length is two to three. In the centre of the white band is a navy blue charkha or the wheel which appears on the abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka. Its diameter approximates to the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes. The design of the national flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on July22, 1947. Its use and display are regulated by the Indian Flag Code.