Is there a musical connection between the anthem of Jaffna Hindu College, established in 1890, and Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Jana Gana Mana’, composed in 1911? An exploratory study comparing two recordings on the basis of mathematics, computational musicology and historical sources.
Research article: Keshavan Thiagaraja
B.Sc. (Computer Science, Mathematics and Statistics)
M.Sc. (Information Technology)
E-Commerce Professional
Private AI Model Developer & AI Security Consultant
Helping SMEs and Enterprises Build Secure AI Solutions
Sydney, Australia
Research date: 3 November 2026
Research Abstract
The main purpose of this study is to investigate whether there are musical similarities between India’s national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and ‘Vaazhiya Yaazhnagar Hindu Kalloori’, the anthem of Jaffna Hindu College, one of Sri Lanka’s most historic institutions.
In this study, recordings of the two anthems were compared using computational musicology methods. In particular, technologies such as Python, Librosa, Digital Signal Processing and Chroma-based Similarity Analysis were used.
In the computational comparison carried out earlier, the maximum average Chroma similarity score between selected musical segments was recorded as 0.992, and the maximum time-aligned Chroma similarity score as 0.594.
These scores indicate that there are mathematical similarities in some musical features of the two anthems. But they do not prove that the main melodies of the two anthems are the same, or that one anthem was copied from the other.
Historically, Jaffna Hindu College was established in 1890. India’s national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ was composed in 1911 and first sung on 27 December of the same year.
However, no definitive historical document has yet been found establishing the year in which the Jaffna Hindu College anthem was first written and composed.
Therefore, on the basis of the currently available evidence, it is not possible to determine conclusively which of the two anthems was created first, or whether there was any musical influence between them.
This study scientifically presents the musical similarities between the two anthems and the unanswered questions concerning their historical chronology.
1. Introduction: A Historical Question Spanning a Century
‘Jana Gana Mana’, the national anthem of India, is a musical creation that reflects the national identity and cultural pride of Indian people living all over the world.
Composed by the Nobel Prize-winning poet Rabindranath Tagore, this anthem holds a unique place in Indian history.
Jaffna Hindu College, established in 1890 in Jaffna in the north of Sri Lanka, close to India, also has a long educational and cultural history.
When comparing the musical structures of the college anthem ‘Vaazhiya Yaazhnagar Hindu Kalloori’ and India’s national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’, an interesting research question arises.
Is there a musical similarity between the two anthems? If so, is it the result of a shared musical tradition, a coincidental similarity, or did one musical creation arise from the influence of the other?
Two distinct investigations are needed to answer this question.
First, to evaluate the similarity between the melodies of the two anthems using scientific and mathematical methods.
Second, to establish the years in which the two anthems were first written and composed, on the basis of reliable historical documents.
Although the two investigations complement each other, they answer different questions.
2. The History of India’s National Anthem
India’s national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ was written by Rabindranath Tagore in the Bengali language.
This song was first sung on 27 December 1911 at the Indian National Congress session held in Calcutta.
After India gained independence, on 24 January 1950 the Constituent Assembly of India officially adopted ‘Jana Gana Mana’ as the national anthem of India.
Tagore was not only a poet but also a composer who created a distinctive musical tradition.
His musical works are known as ‘Rabindra Sangeet’.
His creations arose against the background of Indian musical traditions, Bengali culture and various musical influences.
But no reliable document has yet been found showing a direct historical connection between the musical structure of ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and the Jaffna Hindu College anthem.
3. The History of Jaffna Hindu College
Jaffna Hindu College, established in 1890, is one of Sri Lanka’s most historic educational institutions.
Over many generations, this college has produced scientists, mathematicians, doctors, engineers, educationists and experts in various fields.
According to the college’s official information, its anthem was written by Vidwan K. Karthigesu.
It was set to music by Vidwan S. Arumugam.
Beginning with the lines ‘Vaazhiya Yaazhnagar Hindu Kalloori’, this anthem stands as the cultural identity of the college.
But an important historical question arises here.
Because the college was established in 1890, can we say that its present anthem was also created in 1890?
No.
The year an educational institution was founded and the year its anthem was written do not necessarily have to be the same.
Its anthem may have been written many years after the college was founded.
Therefore, the founding year of Jaffna Hindu College alone cannot serve as evidence proving the age of its anthem.
4. Which Anthem Was Created First?
This is the most important historical question of this study.
| Historical fact | Year | Evidence status |
|---|---|---|
| Jaffna Hindu College established | 1890 | Historical record exists |
| India’s national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ composed | 1911 | Confirmed |
| ‘Jana Gana Mana’ first sung | 27 December 1911 | Confirmed |
| Jaffna Hindu College anthem written | Not found | Further evidence needed |
| Original melody of the Jaffna Hindu College anthem created | Not found | Further evidence needed |
This table reveals an important truth.
Although Jaffna Hindu College was established 21 years before India’s national anthem was composed, it cannot be concluded on this basis that its anthem was also created before it.
Moreover, the year the lyrics were written and the year the melody was created may differ.
Therefore, to determine the true chronology of the two anthems, their original composition dates are essential.
Until this historical gap is resolved, it is not possible to say with certainty which anthem’s melody arose first.
5. When the Recordings of the Two Anthems Were Compared by Computer
Two MPEG recordings were used for this study.
First, India’s national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’.
Second, Jaffna Hindu College’s ‘Vaazhiya Yaazhnagar Hindu Kalloori’.
Both recordings were analysed using Digital Signal Processing methods based on Python and Librosa.
The basic measurements recorded in the study are as follows:
| Study feature | India’s national anthem | Hindu College anthem |
|---|---|---|
| Recording length | 61.73 seconds | 304.79 seconds |
| Estimated tempo | 107.7 BPM | 86.1 BPM |
| Analysis sample rate | 11,025 Hz | 11,025 Hz |
| Chroma musical feature analysis | Performed | Performed |
The length and tempo of the two recordings differ.
But these differences do not prove that their underlying melodies are entirely different.
Because the same melody can be sung at different speeds, in different keys, and with different instrument arrangements.
6. Musical Similarities Found in the Mathematical Analysis
A Chroma-based Similarity Analysis was carried out between selected musical segments of the two anthems.
Chroma is a computational musical feature that represents the energy distribution of the twelve pitch classes used in music.
The maximum scores obtained by this method:
Average Chroma similarity: 0.992
Time-aligned Chroma similarity: 0.594
These scores were computed on a scale from 0 to 1.
A score of 0.992 indicates that the average arrangements of the pitch classes used in the two selected musical segments may be very similar.
But this does not mean that the two songs share 99.2 per cent of the same melody.
Likewise, the time-aligned similarity score of 0.594 also does not prove that the main melodies of the two anthems are the same.
These two measurements evaluate different musical features.
Their results cannot be directly interpreted as having the same meaning.
7. In Which Musical Segments Was the Highest Similarity Found?
In the computational comparison carried out earlier, high Chroma similarity was recorded between the following segments.
| India’s national anthem | Jaffna Hindu College anthem | Similarity score |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00-0:20 | 0:39-0:59 | 0.594 |
| 0:00-0:20 | 3:57-4:17 | 0.590 |
| 0:05-0:25 | 0:43-1:03 | 0.575 |
| 0:00-0:20 | 0:05-0:25 | 0.574 |
These results were obtained from a computational comparison of musical pitch features.
They indicate the possibility of musical similarities in some parts of the two songs.
But these scores alone do not prove that their main melodies are entirely identical.
8. Why Did the Similarity Increase After Pitch Transposition?
In musicology, the concept of Transposition is important.
Singing a song in a different key without changing its underlying musical structure is called Transposition.
The same melody can be sung in a key suited to a male voice and in a different key suited to a female voice.
In this study, when a pitch shift of two semitones was allowed, a higher Chroma similarity was recorded.
This is a finding worthy of further musicological investigation.
But on the basis of this result alone, it cannot be said that the two anthems share the same melody.
For that, their main note sequences, musical intervals, rhythmic structures and musical phrases must be compared separately.
9. Is Musical Similarity Evidence of Musical Copying?
There can be various reasons for a similarity between two musical creations.
They may have arisen from the same musical tradition.
They may have used common ragas or musical structures.
One composer may have been influenced by another’s creation.
Or the musical similarity may also have occurred by chance.
Therefore, the presence of musical similarity alone does not prove that one song was copied from another.
To prove the historical claim of musical copying, evidence of a reliable chronology and of musical exchange is needed in addition to musical similarity.
In particular, even if a document is found showing that one melody existed before the other, that alone does not separately prove that the later melody was copied from it.
10. Limitations of the Artificial Intelligence and Computational Musicology Study
Artificial intelligence, mathematics and Digital Signal Processing technologies are useful tools for scientifically investigating similarities between musical creations.
However, it is essential to understand the results these technologies provide together with their limitations.
The Chroma-based Similarity Analysis used in this study evaluates similarities between the musical pitch classes found in the two recordings.
But this method is not a substitute for a complete Forensic Musicology investigation.
In particular, the following limitations have been identified in this study.
10.1 The main melodies were not extracted separately
The two recordings may contain the human voice, background music and the sounds of various instruments.
Chroma Analysis analyses the combined musical pitch features of such sounds.
Therefore, without separately extracting the main vocal melodies of the two songs, it is not possible to conclude that their underlying musical structures are the same.
For this, methods such as Vocal Separation and Melody Extraction must be used.
10.2 A complete note-sequence comparison was not carried out
The notes occurring in each musical phrase of the two songs, their order and duration have not been compared in full.
Two songs using the same pitch classes can have entirely different melodies.
Therefore, it is necessary to convert the main melodies of the two anthems into musical notation and compare the note sequences directly.
10.3 Differences in singing tempo
The estimated tempo in the recording of India’s national anthem was recorded as 107.7 BPM, and in the recording of the Jaffna Hindu College anthem as 86.1 BPM.
These are only estimates computed from specific recordings.
Because the singing tempo differs, even the same musical phrase may occur with different durations in the two recordings.
Mathematical methods such as Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) can be used to compare while taking this difference into account.
10.4 The effect of pitch transposition
In this study, when a pitch shift of two semitones was allowed, a higher Chroma similarity was found.
But an increase in similarity after transposition alone does not prove that the two songs share the same melody.
The two musical creations may have used the same pitch classes in different orders and rhythmic structures.
Therefore, further methods such as Transposition-invariant Melody Comparison are necessary.
10.5 No comparison with unrelated musical creations was carried out
This is also one of the important statistical limitations of this study.
The similarity scores found between the two anthems have not been compared with other unrelated national anthems, school anthems and traditional musical creations.
Without such a comparison, it is not possible to determine how distinctive a similarity score of 0.594 is in musicological terms.
Moreover, when examining many time segments and pitch shifts, coincidentally high similarity scores may occur.
Therefore, it is necessary to compare with suitable control musical creations and statistically evaluate whether the similarity found could have arisen by chance.
10.6 The era of the recordings and the era of the original compositions may differ
It has not been confirmed that the recordings used for this study date from the period when the original compositions of the two anthems were created.
Over time, changes may have occurred in the instrumentation, singing tempo, key and musical phrases of the songs.
Therefore, to confirm whether the musical similarities found in the current recordings also existed in the original compositions, old musical scores or historical recordings are needed.
10.7 The year in which the Jaffna Hindu College anthem was written has not been confirmed
This is the most important historical limitation of this study.
Jaffna Hindu College was established in 1890.
India’s national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ was composed in 1911.
But the year in which the present anthem of Jaffna Hindu College was written, and the year in which its original melody was created, have not yet been confirmed.
Therefore, it cannot be said, on the basis of the college’s founding year alone, that its anthem was created before India’s national anthem.
Likewise, it is also not possible to conclude on the basis of current evidence that India’s national anthem was created first.
To determine the true chronology of the two anthems, early historical documents relating to the Jaffna Hindu College anthem in particular are essential.
10.8 Musical similarity does not prove historical influence
There can be various reasons for a similarity between two musical creations.
They may have arisen from common musical traditions. They may have used the same kind of ragas or musical frameworks. One composer may have been influenced by another’s creation. Or a coincidental musical similarity may also have occurred.
Therefore, a mathematically detected similarity alone cannot serve as evidence that one anthem was copied from another.
To confirm this historically, reliable documents on the chronology of the original compositions, old musical scores and musical exchange are needed.
10.9 Reproducibility of the study and independent verification
For the results of a computational musicology study to be scientifically accepted, it is necessary that other researchers can also verify the results using the same method.
For this, the source information of the recordings used, programming codes, software versions, computational parameters and comparison methods must be properly documented.
In addition, an independent evaluation by musicology experts must also be carried out.
Until such verifications are completed, the mathematical results of this study should be regarded as preliminary findings.
11. Balanced Research Conclusion
This preliminary computational study, carried out to investigate the musical similarities between the two anthems – India’s national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and Jaffna Hindu College’s ‘Vaazhiya Yaazhnagar Hindu Kalloori’ – has revealed some interesting results.
Mathematically measurable Chroma similarities have been found between selected segments of the two recordings.
However, these similarities do not prove that the main melodies of the two anthems are the same.
Historically, it is a confirmed fact that Jaffna Hindu College was established in 1890.
It is also historically confirmed that India’s national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ was composed in 1911.
But the year in which the lyrics of the Jaffna Hindu College anthem were first written, and the year in which its original melody was created, have not yet been confirmed.
Therefore, it is not possible to determine, on the basis of the currently available evidence, which of the two anthems was written first, or which anthem’s melody was created first.
The currently available scientific and historical evidence does not confirm the view that India’s national anthem was created by copying the melody of the Jaffna Hindu College anthem, nor the opposite view that the Jaffna Hindu College anthem was created by copying the melody of India’s national anthem.
At the same time, the musical similarities found between the two anthems provide a reasonable starting point for further investigation.
To determine whether these similarities are the result of a shared musical tradition, are coincidental, or are the result of historical musical influence, further extensive musicological and historical investigations are necessary.
In particular, establishing the original composition date of the Jaffna Hindu College anthem is the next important task of this research.
Even if that date is found, it alone will not be sufficient to prove which anthem was copied from the other. Historical evidence of musical exchange will also be needed in addition to musical similarity.
Therefore, the balanced conclusion of the present study is as follows:
Mathematical similarities have been found in some musical features between the two anthems. But the chronology of their original compositions, and whether one anthem was musically influenced by the other, have not yet been confirmed. Hence, the currently available evidence is not sufficient to conclude that either anthem was copied from the other.
This conclusion upholds the basic principles of scientific inquiry while respecting the historical and cultural significance of both musical creations.
12. Closing Remarks
The purpose of historical research is not to prove an already believed view.
The basic aim of research is to examine the available evidence and, on its basis, to learn the truth.
Artificial intelligence can help detect musical similarities.
Mathematics can help measure those similarities.
But to prove historical truth, reliable documents and the evaluation of human experts are essential.
While respecting the cultural greatness of India’s national anthem and the historic distinction of Jaffna Hindu College, this study puts forward a scientific basis for further investigating the musical connection between the two anthems.
Musicology researchers from India and Sri Lanka, historical researchers, those with expertise in Rabindranath Tagore’s musical tradition, and the old students of Jaffna Hindu College can contribute by providing the historical documents needed for this research.
The purpose of research is not to prove the conclusion we desire. True research is to learn the truth that the evidence reveals.
Research type: Exploratory Computational Musicology and Historical Research
Key research terms: Jana Gana Mana, Jaffna Hindu College, Rabindranath Tagore, Computational Musicology, Chroma Analysis, Digital Signal Processing, Musical Similarity, Historical Evidence, Artificial Intelligence.
Think mathematically. Engineer intelligently. Lead strategically. Build responsibly. Scale globally. Create real business value through artificial intelligence.
#JanaGanaMana #YaalpaanamHinduCollege #NationalAnthem #Musicology #ITImpress
