Teejan Bai (1956 – 2026)

Their Story

Teejan Bai was a legendary Pandavani singer who took Chhattisgarh's centuries-old storytelling tradition to audiences across the world and passed away at AIIMS Hospital in Raipur on 5 July 2026 at the age of 70. Born in humble circumstances in Ganiyari village in Durg district, she heard her maternal grandfather, Brijlal Pardhi, recite the Mahabharata and instantly took a liking to it. At the incredibly young age of 13, she made her debut in Chandrakhuri village, defying gender conventions that restricted women to the seated Vedamati style. She became the first woman to perform in the Kapalik style, the more dramatic standing form traditionally reserved for men, and was expelled by her own Pardhi community for continuing to sing Pandavani as a woman. Undeterred, she performed extensively in India and abroad, visiting countries such as America, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Russia, Australia, and Germany. Over the span of six decades, she dedicated herself to perpetuating a timeless legacy and motivated numerous artistes to draw inspiration from the rich cultural heritage of India. Over her illustrious career, Teejan Bai received the Padma Shri in 1988, Padma Bhushan in 2003, and Padma Vibhushan in 2019, becoming one of India's most celebrated cultural ambassadors.</bio> <parameter name="timelineEvents">[ { "date": "1956-04-24", "title": "Birth", "description": "Born in Ganiyari village, Durg district, Chhattisgarh, on the day of the Teej festival" }, { "date": "1969", "title": "Debut Performance", "description": "Made her first public performance at age 13 in the village of Chandrakhuri, performing Pandavani" }, { "date": "1988", "title": "Padma Shri Award", "description": "Honored with the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award" }, { "date": "1995", "title": "Sangeet Natak Akademi Award", "description": "Received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award from India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama" }, { "date": "2003", "title": "Padma Bhushan Award", "description": "Honored with the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award" }, { "date": "2019", "title": "Padma Vibhushan Award", "description": "Honored with the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award" }, { "date": "2026-07-05", "title": "Passing", "description": "Died at AIIMS Raipur after a prolonged illness" } ]