Obituaries★ Must Know

Padma Vibhushan Pandavani Legend Teejan Bai Dies at 70 in Raipur

By TestNeeti Editorial TeamPublished Sunday, 5 July 2026 2 min readSource: The HinduArticle 5 of 17

On 5 July 2026, Teejan Bai, the legendary exponent of Pandavani — the traditional folk storytelling art of Chhattisgarh — died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Raipur, after a prolonged illness; she was 70. A Padma Vibhushan awardee, Teejan Bai was one of the first women to perform Pandavani (a musical narration of tales from the Mahabharata) in the traditionally male Kapalik style, and she carried the art form to national and global stages over more than five decades. She was also honoured with the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, becoming the face of Chhattisgarh's folk heritage. Leaders including the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister paid tributes, calling her passing an irreparable loss to Indian folk art.

Key Facts & Details

9 points

1
Teejan Bai, legendary Pandavani folk artist, died on 5 July 2026 at AIIMS Raipur; she was 70.
2
She was a Padma Vibhushan awardee (also Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan).
3
Pandavani is a folk storytelling art of Chhattisgarh narrating tales from the Mahabharata.
4
She was among the first women to perform Pandavani in the male-dominated Kapalik style.
5
She also received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and took the art to global audiences.
6
Tributes were paid by the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and others.

Deep Dive

+
Pandavani has two main styles of narration — Vedamati and Kapalik; Teejan Bai popularised the animated Kapalik style.
+
She performed with a 'tambura' as her main prop, often dramatising it as various characters and weapons.
+
Teejan Bai is credited with bringing global recognition to Chhattisgarh's tribal and folk performing arts.

Exam Focus

Teejan Bai, who died in July 2026, was a legendary exponent of which folk art form?

Exam Relevance & Angle

Obituaries of nationally important cultural figures are frequently tested art & culture / awards GA. Examiners test the person (Teejan Bai), the art form (Pandavani), her state (Chhattisgarh) and her Padma Vibhushan — clean, testable hooks.

Target Exams

SBI POSBI ClerkIBPS POIBPS ClerkIBPS RRB OfficerIBPS RRB AssistantRBI Grade BRBI AssistantNABARD Grade ASSC CGLSSC CHSLRRB NTPCLIC AAONIACL AOUPSC CSEState PCS

Background & Context

Pandavani is a traditional folk ballad/storytelling form from Chhattisgarh in which the performer narrates episodes from the Mahabharata (centred on the Pandavas) through song, rhythmic speech and dramatic gesture, accompanied by musicians. It has two narrative styles — Vedamati (seated, restrained) and Kapalik (standing, animated). Teejan Bai (born 1956) broke gender barriers to become its most celebrated exponent, performing worldwide and earning India's top civilian honours — the Padma Shri (1988), Padma Bhushan (2003) and Padma Vibhushan (2019) — along with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. The Padma Vibhushan is India's second-highest civilian award.