Pandavani legend Teejan Bai dies at 70

Padma Vibhushan awardee and legendary Pandavani exponent Teejan Bai passed away in Raipur, Chhattisgarh at the age of 72 after a prolonged illness.

About Teejan Bai

Teejan Bai was born on April 24, 1956, in Ganiyari village of Chhattisgarh’s Durg district. She was named Teejan because she was born on the day of the Teej festival. 

She belonged to the Pardhi community, one of the communities that had been notified as a “criminal tribe” under the British-era Criminal Tribes Act of 1871. The law was repealed in 1952. 

Teejan Bai gave her first public performance at the age of 13 and went on to transform the traditional art of Pandavani, a musical narration of stories from the Mahabharata.  

At a time when women traditionally performed Pandavani in the seated Vedamati style, Teejan Bai broke convention by becoming the first woman to adopt the dynamic standing Kapalika style, a performance tradition that had long been dominated by men. 

Over a career spanning more than five decades, she took the folk tradition of Chhattisgarh to audiences across Asia, Europe and several other parts of the world. 

Her exceptional contribution to Indian folk culture earned her several of the country’s highest civilian and cultural honours, including the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

About Pāṇḍavāni

Pāṇḍavāni is the narrative tradition of the co unities. This tradition sustains and disseminates the oral tradition of Mahābhārata for ages.

A single performer or story-teller leads the narration of some episodes from the Mahābhārata after invoking.their respective deities.

The documentary highlights various nuances of the tradition, focusing on two main styles – Vedamatī and Kāpālika.

Sources: DD News & IGNCA

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