Madanapalle (Telugu: మదనపల్లె), is a town and a Municipality located in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh state, India - population 107,512 (2001 census). Legend has it that the name of the town was originally " Maryaada raamanna puram" which has over time, changed into " Madanapalle".It is one of the biggest Revenue Divisions in India (it covers almost half of the Chittoor district). It is a fast-growing city at the center of an agricultural region noted for its fruits and vegetables, especially tomatoes. It has a railway station and is the gateway to Horsley Hills, a big hill station and summer resort. It is the birth place of the philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti, who founded the nearby Rishi Valley School.
It is also known for its high quality silks, which are spun into sarees and other types of clothing. Neeruguttu palle is a place in town where silk sarees are available at the production cost. The famous poet Rabindranath Tagore translated "Jana Gana Mana", India's national anthem, from Bengali to English and also set it to music in Madanapalle. Madanapalle is famous for the Besant Theosophical College named after Dr. Annie Besant
Horsley Hills is situated near Madanpalle in Chittoor District at an altitude of 4400 feet (1314 m) above sea level. Mr. W.D. Horsley, a British member of the civil service and the then District Collector of Cuddapah, who found the climate very hot, selected this area as his summer resort on the top of the hills. He constructed two houses, the Kachari Room and the Milk Bungalow and developed it as a summer resort. There are four engineering colleges in Madanapalli and MITS Engineering college is the famous among them all. MITS is located at the foot of the Horsley Hills
Being physically unwell, Rabindranath cancelling all his programme started for Madanapalle on 23rd Feb, 1919 in the afternoon.There was an insertion in a news paper;
" Mr. Tagore has come here to take complete rest for some days.Principal James H. Cousins and Mr. A. Tampos, I.C.S., Sub-collector went to the Railway station and motored the poet to Oladana. The early hours of this morning saws all the boys and teachers of the college very busy in receiving the illustrious guest. At the Olcott Bunglow the College scouts lived themselves in rows and the motor stopped at the gate, Dr. Tagore got down from the car and walked into the gardento his rooms. He is accompanied by Mr. and Mr. Dey (unkonown). His programme here is not yet settled ."
While staying in the Woods College with his friend Mr. Cousins he came to learn that a natural devastation has caused huge damage to the locality and the and the students are collecting funds for relief. On hearing of the disaster, he offered to deliver a special lecture in Madanapalle, in aid of the relief fund.He also handed over a bank draft which he had just received from Japan. Probably in this meeting Rabindranath sung the song " Jana gana mana " and translated it into English and gave its title as " The morning song of India". This song was treated in the Wood's College as its opening song everyday. The original manuscript of the English version of the song dated Feb 1919 was kept in the College library.
After many days Mr. Cousins participated in the debate of this song when it was accepted as the National song of India, he wrote;
" My suggestion is that Dr. Rabindranath's own intensely patriotic, ideally stimulating, and at the same time world-embracing Morni ng Song of India ( Janaganamana)should be confirmed officially, as what it has for almost twenty years been unofficially, namely, the true National Anthem of India."
On 16th Phalgun (28th Feb 1919), Rabindranath wrote Kadambini Dutta, " I was bed ridden for somedays due to influenza and have come to take rest in healthy place. Day after tomorrow I shall go to Madras." He left for Madras on 2 march,1919.
