West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday paid homage to the first public singing of India's national anthem 'Jana Gana Mana', saying the composition by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore is a tribute to Bengal's leading role in the freedom struggle.

"Jana Gana Mana was first sung on this day in 1911. Our National Anthem has united us and inspired the nation over the years," Banerjee tweeted.