Anthem · 1912 · South & Southeast Asia
Bande Utkala Janani
ବନ୍ଦେ ଉତ୍କଳ ଜନନୀ / Bandē Utkaḷa Jananī
A song of 1912 in praise of "Mother Utkala", the land of the Odia people. Since 2020 it is the anthem of the Indian state of Odisha.
- Words
- Laxmikanta Mohapatra
- Music
- not known (first recorded by Gokul Mohanty in 1932; the modern notation by Balakrushna Dash)
- Culture
- the Odia people; the Utkal Sammilani and the movement for a separate Odisha
- Language
- Odia
- Place
- Odisha, India
- Date
- written 1912; first sung at Balasore in 1912; state anthem of Odisha from 7 June 2020
- Type
- Anthem
- The words
- Public domain (words by Laxmikanta Mohapatra, written in 1912)
The story
"Bande Utkala Janani" ("Glory to the Mother Utkala!") is a patriotic poem in Odia written by Laxmikanta Mohapatra in 1912. Over the centuries outsiders, the Mughals, the Marathas and the British, had ruled Odisha, and its boundaries had changed with each of them. In the early 20th century a movement for a separate province gathered strength, led by the Utkal Sammilani, a federation of Odias. It influenced the young Mohapatra, who wrote this and other fiery songs with a patriotic aim. The song was first sung at the Utkal Sammilani's conference at Balasore in 1912, and the Sammilani used it as a weapon in its campaign. The poet Banchhanidhi Mohanty, who was also a good singer, sang Mohapatra's patriotic songs throughout Odisha, and at a meeting at Bhadrak where Mohapatra was honoured, the young leader Harekrushna Mahtab said that the poet's songs had inspired him a great deal. On 1 April 1936 Odisha became the first state in British India to be formed on a linguistic basis.
The music was first recorded by Gokul Mohanty in 1932, and the Odissi musician Balakrushna Dash arranged the modern notation, which was later adopted for the anthem. In the early 1990s the Chief Minister of Odisha, Biju Patnaik, asked the Speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly, Yudhistir Das, to have the song played at the end of Assembly sessions, and in 1994 an all-party meeting chaired by Das adopted it to be played and sung at the valedictory session of the Assembly.
In 2020 the Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, encouraged people to recite "Bande Utkala Janani" to raise the morale of the health workers fighting the coronavirus outbreak. On 7 June 2020 a meeting of the state cabinet that he chaired gave the poem the status of the anthem of Odisha.
What it says
A hymn of praise to Utkala, the Odia homeland, addressed as a mother. It pictures a land that keeps its self-respect and dignity from confidence and strength rather than from fear, and calls on its people to honour her. The mood is devoted and proud.
The words
ବନ୍ଦେ ଉତ୍କଳ ଜନନୀbande utkaḷa jananīI bow to you, Mother Utkala,
ଚାରୁ ହାସମୟୀ ଚାରୁ ଭାଷମୟୀ,cāru hāsamaẏī cāru bhāṣamaẏī,of lovely smile, of lovely speech,
ଜନନୀ, ଜନନୀ, ଜନନୀjananī, jananī, jananīMother, Mother, Mother,
ବନ୍ଦେ ଉତ୍କଳ ଜନନୀ ।bande utkaḷa jananī.I bow to you, Mother Utkala.
ପୂତ-ପୟୋଧି-ବିଧୌତ-ଶରୀର,pūta-paẏodhi-bidhauta-śarīra,your body washed by the holy sea,
ତାଳତମାଳ-ସୁଶୋଭିତ-ତୀର,tāḷatamāḷa-suśobhita-tīra,your shores made lovely by palmyra and tamāla trees,
ଶୁଭ୍ରତଟିନୀକୂଳ-ଶୀକର-ସମୀର,śubhrataṭinīkūḷa-śīkara-samīra,your breeze bearing spray from the banks of bright rivers,
ଜନନୀ, ଜନନୀ, ଜନନୀ,jananī, jananī, jananī,Mother, Mother, Mother,
ବନ୍ଦେ ଉତ୍କଳ ଜନନୀ ।bande utkaḷa jananī.I bow to you, Mother Utkala.
ଘନ ଘନ ବନଭୂମି ରାଜିତଅଙ୍ଗେ,ghana ghana banabhūmi rājitaaṅge,your limbs made splendid by dense, dense forests,
ନୀଳ ଭୂଧରମାଳା ସାଜେ ତରଙ୍ଗେ,nīḷa bhūdharamāḷā sāje taraṅge,rows of blue mountains adorning you in waves,
କଳ କଳ ମୁଖରିତ ଚାରୁ ବିହଙ୍ଗେ,kaḷa kaḷa mukharita cāru bihaṅge,loud with the warbling of lovely birds,
ଜନନୀ, ଜନନୀ, ଜନନୀ,jananī, jananī, jananī,Mother, Mother, Mother,
ବନ୍ଦେ ଉତ୍କଳ ଜନନୀ ।bande utkaḷa jananī.I bow to you, Mother Utkala.
ସୁନ୍ଦରଶାଳି-ସୁଶୋଭିତ-କ୍ଷେତ୍ର,sundaraśāḷi-suśobhita-kṣetra,your fields made lovely by fine rice,
ଜ୍ଞାନବିଜ୍ଞାନ-ପ୍ରଦର୍ଶିତ-ନେତ୍ର,jñānabijñāna-pradarśita-netra,your eyes showing knowledge and learning,
ଯୋଗୀ ଋଷିଗଣ-ଊଟଜ-ପବିତ୍ର,yogī r̥ṣigaṇa-ūṭaja-pabitra,made holy by the huts of yogis and hosts of sages,
ଜନନୀ, ଜନନୀ, ଜନନୀ,jananī, jananī, jananī,Mother, Mother, Mother,
ବନ୍ଦେ ଉତ୍କଳ ଜନନୀ ।bande utkaḷa jananī.I bow to you, Mother Utkala.
ସୁନ୍ଦର ମନ୍ଦିର ମଣ୍ଡିତ-ଦେଶା,sundara mandira maṇḍita-deśā,a land adorned with beautiful temples,
ଚାରୁକଳାବଳି-ଶୋଭିତ-ବେଶା,cārukaḷābaḷi-śobhita-beśā,your dress made splendid by the fine arts in their rows,
ପୁଣ୍ୟ ତୀର୍ଥଚୟା-ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ-ପ୍ରଦେଶାpuṇya tīrthacaẏā-pūrṇṇa-pradeśāyour regions full of holy places of pilgrimage,
ଜନନୀ, ଜନନୀ, ଜନନୀ,jananī, jananī, jananī,Mother, Mother, Mother,
ବନ୍ଦେ ଉତ୍କଳ ଜନନୀ ।bande utkaḷa jananī.I bow to you, Mother Utkala.
ଉତ୍କଳ ସୁରବର-ଦର୍ପିତ-ଗେହା,utkaḷa surabara-darpita-gehā,Utkala, a home made proud by the best of gods,
ଅରିକୁଳ-ଶୋଣିତ-ଚର୍ଚ୍ଚିତ-ଦେହା,arikuḷa-śoṇita-carccita-dehā,your body smeared with the blood of the hosts of your foes,
ବିଶ୍ବଭୂମଣ୍ଡଳ-କୃତବର-ସ୍ନେହା,biśbabhūmaṇḍaḷa-kr̥tabara-snehā,who have shown your noble love to the whole round of the world,
ଜନନୀ, ଜନନୀ, ଜନନୀ,jananī, jananī, jananī,Mother, Mother, Mother,
ବନ୍ଦେ ଉତ୍କଳ ଜନନୀ ।bande utkaḷa jananī.I bow to you, Mother Utkala.
କବିକୁଳମୌଳି ସୁନନ୍ଦନ-ବନ୍ଦ୍ୟା,kabikuḷamauḷi sunandana-bandyā,worshipped by your good sons, crowns of the race of poets [?],
ଭୁବନ ବିଘୋଷିତ-କୀର୍ତ୍ତି ଅନିନ୍ଦ୍ୟା,bhubana bighoṣita-kīrtti anindyā,your fame proclaimed through the world, beyond reproach,
ଧନ୍ୟେ, ପୁଣ୍ୟେ, ଚିର ଶରଣ୍ୟେ,dhanye, puṇye, cira śaraṇye,O blessed one, O holy one, refuge for ever,
ଜନନୀ, ଜନନୀ, ଜନନୀ,jananī, jananī, jananī,Mother, Mother, Mother,
ବନ୍ଦେ ଉତ୍କଳ ଜନନୀ ।bande utkaḷa jananī.I bow to you, Mother Utkala.
Original: Laxmikanta Mohapatra (1912). Text from Wikisource; public domain.
The romanization is the Institute’s own (ISO 15919).
The English is the Institute’s own translation, made from the original for this page.
Notes on the translation (17)
- Romanization: ISO 15919 applied to the Odia letters as written: the inherent vowel written, as Odia sounds it (jananī, śarīra); ଳ is ḷ (utkaḷa, tāḷa, nīḷa, kaḷā), distinct from ଲ l; ବ is b throughout (bande, bidhauta, biśba), as Odia writes one letter for b and v; ୟ is ẏ, ଯ y, and the subscript ya of a conjunct y (puṇya, dhanye); ଋ and its sign r̥; ଂ ṁ; doubled letters kept as written (pūrṇṇa, kīrtti, carccita). The source's hyphens are kept and the danda । is given as a full stop.
- The song is in a highly Sanskritized Odia: most lines are long compounds describing the Mother, addressed as a goddess-like figure of the land (Utkala is an old name of Odisha). The compounds are unpacked in the translation in their own order where English allows.
- line 1.1: bande, 'I bow to, I salute' (Sanskrit vande), as in Bankim's Vande Mataram; jananī, 'mother' (she who gives birth).
- line 1.2: hāsa, 'smile, laughter'; bhāṣa, 'speech, language': 'whose smile is lovely, whose speech is lovely'.
- line 2.1: paẏodhi, 'the sea' (literally 'holder of waters'); pūta, 'pure, holy'.
- line 2.2: tāḷa, the palmyra palm; tamāḷa, a dark-leaved tree of Sanskrit poetry. 2.3: śīkara, fine spray; samīra, breeze; taṭinī, river.
- line 3.1: rājita-aṅge, 'on limbs made splendid': the forests adorn the Mother's body. 3.2: bhūdhara, 'mountain' ('earth-holder'); 'sāje taraṅge', 'is arrayed in waves' (range behind range).
- line 3.3: 'kaḷa kaḷa', the sound of many birds (or of running water); mukharita, 'made to resound'.
- line 4.2: 'jñāna-bijñāna', knowledge and (practical or discerning) knowledge; 'learning' or 'science' are both possible for the second word. 'pradarśita-netra', 'whose eyes show forth' (or 'whose eyes are shown': the compound can be read either way).
- line 4.3: ūṭaja, a hut of leaves, a hermitage (usually spelt uṭaja; written here with a long ū).
- line 5.2: 'cāru-kaḷā-baḷi-śobhita-beśā', 'whose dress shines with rows (or the whole range) of fine arts'.
- line 5.3: tīrtha, a sacred bathing-place or place of pilgrimage; caya, 'a heap, a multitude'.
- line 6.1: 'sura-bara-darpita-gehā', 'whose home is proud of (or made proud by) the best of the gods'; which god is meant the line does not say.
- line 6.3: 'biśba-bhūmaṇḍaḷa-kr̥ta-bara-snehā', 'by whom excellent love has been shown to the whole circle of the earth'; bara can also be read 'boon' ('who has made her love a boon to the world').
- line 7.1: the sense is uncertain [?]: kabikuḷa-mauḷi, 'crown (or crest-jewel) of the race of poets', may describe the sons who honour her, a single great poet, or the Mother herself; sunandana, 'good son' (or 'one who delights'); bandyā, 'to be worshipped, worshipped'.
- line 7.3: dhanye, puṇye, śaraṇye are vocatives: 'O blessed one, O holy one, O refuge'.
- line 7.5: orig ends '।|', a stray bar after the danda, probably from the import; the editor may want to remove it. Romanized without it.
Listen
On YouTube, from the channel Sidharth Music. Pressing play loads YouTube’s player. Watch on YouTube
People, places and events
Sources
- Wikipedia, "Bande Utkala Janani", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bande_Utkala_Janani
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Bande Utkala Janani. In Songs in History. https://the-epoch-institute.org/songs/bande-utkala-janani
- MLA
- “Bande Utkala Janani.” Songs in History, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/songs/bande-utkala-janani. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Bande Utkala Janani.” Songs in History. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/songs/bande-utkala-janani.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Bande Utkala Janani’, Songs in History. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/songs/bande-utkala-janani (Accessed: ).