RENOWNED Pandavani singer Teejan Bai, a Padma Vibhushan awardee, died at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Raipur early on Sunday. She was 70. Teejan Bai had been undergoing treatment at AIIMS Raipur for a prolonged illness. Admitted on May 27 with complaints of breathing difficulty and generalised weakness, she was managed in the CCU by a multidisciplinary team and was on ventilator support. In the early hours of July 5, at approximately 2:45 am, she suffered a cardiac arrest. Despite immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation and advanced life support measures, she was declared dead at around 3:15 am. Her family was informed, AIIMS said. Born on August 8, 1956, in Ganiyari village near Bhilai, Teejan Bai belonged to the Pardhi Scheduled Tribe. The eldest of five siblings, she learned Chhattisgarhi renditions of the Mahabharata from her maternal grandfather, Brijlal Pardhi, and later trained under Umed Singh Deshmukh. She gave her first public performance at the age of 13 in Chandrakhuri, singing in the Kapalik standing style of Pandavani, a break from the traditional sitting style and a rare approach for women at the time. Teejan Bai rose from village stages to national and international prominence after theatre personality Habib Tanvir noticed her. She performed for then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and later appeared internationally as a cultural ambassador, touring countries including England, France, Germany, Turkey and Mauritius. She featured in Shyam Benegal’s Doordarshan series Bharat Ek Khoj, performing Mahabharata sequences.

 

Her awards include the Padma Shri (1988), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1995), Padma Bhushan (2003) and Padma Vibhushan (2019). President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday condoled the demise of folk singer Teejan Bai, saying she brought recognition to Chhattisgarh’s rich Pandavani tradition through her exceptional talent. “The news of the demise of the renowned Pandavani artist Smt. Teejan Bai ji is extremely sad,” Murmu said in a post on X in Hindi. With her powerful voice, commanding presence, and unique style of presentation, she brought the tales of the Mahabharata to life on stage, the President said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X: “I am deeply saddened by the passing of the renowned Pandavani singer Teejan Bai Ji. Through her magnificent performances, she earned global recognition for this folk art form from Chhattisgarh. Her demise is an irreparable loss to the world of art and culture. In this hour of grief, my condolences are with her family and admirers. Om Shanti!” Chhattisgarh Governor Ramen Deka, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Assembly Speaker Dr Raman Singh also expressed deep sorrow over her demise. Lt Gen Ashok Jindal (Retd), Executive Director, AIIMS Raipur, said: “AIIMS Raipur pays its humble tribute to the legendary artist and extends its heartfelt condolences to her family.” Later, her body was taken to her native village, Ganiyari in Durg district, where her last rites were performed with full State honours. Teejan Bai’s life included hardships: married at 12 and initially expelled by her community for performing Pandavani as a woman, she nonetheless persisted and later became a mentor, passing the tradition to younger performers. Her notable performance repertoire included Draupadi Cheerharan, Dushasana Vadh and the Mahabharata Yuddha between Bhishma and Arjuna.