Obituaries★ Must Know

Pandavani Folk Legend and Padma Vibhushan Teejan Bai Passes Away at 69

By TestNeeti Editorial TeamPublished Wednesday, 8 July 2026 2 min readSource: That Eric AlperArticle 5 of 20

Teejan Bai, the pioneering Pandavani folk singer who brought tales from the Mahabharata to audiences across India and the world, has died at 69 at AIIMS Raipur after weeks of treatment. Born in Ganiyari village in Chhattisgarh's Durg district, she belonged to the Pardhi Scheduled Tribe and gave her first public performance at 13 for 10 rupees, singing in the standing Kapalik style traditionally reserved for men rather than the seated Vedamati style expected of women — becoming the first woman to perform in that style. Theatre figure Habib Tanvir helped bring her to national prominence, arranging a performance for then-PM Indira Gandhi. She toured internationally as a cultural ambassador and appeared in Shyam Benegal's series Bharat Ek Khoj. Her honours include the Padma Shri (1988), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1995), Padma Bhushan (2003), the Fukuoka Prize (2018) and the Padma Vibhushan (2019).

Key Facts & Details

9 points

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Teejan Bai, the legendary Pandavani folk singer, died at 69 at AIIMS Raipur.
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Pandavani is a Chhattisgarhi folk art form that narrates tales from the Mahabharata; she was born in Ganiyari village, Durg district, Chhattisgarh.
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She was the first woman to perform in the standing Kapalik style, traditionally reserved for men, rather than the seated Vedamati style.
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Theatre figure Habib Tanvir helped launch her to national prominence, arranging a performance for then-PM Indira Gandhi.
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Her honours include the Padma Shri (1988), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1995), Padma Bhushan (2003), Fukuoka Prize (2018) and Padma Vibhushan (2019).
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She performed using the ektara and tambura and appeared in Shyam Benegal's television series Bharat Ek Khoj.

Deep Dive

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She toured internationally as a cultural ambassador, performing in England, France, Switzerland, Germany, Turkey and beyond.
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She was also later honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, the akademi's highest honour.
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Throughout her life she worked to pass the Pandavani tradition to younger generations, breaking gender barriers in the art form.

Exam Focus

Teejan Bai, who passed away in 2026, was associated with which folk art form and which highest Padma honour?

Exam Relevance & Angle

Obituaries of Padma Vibhushan cultural icons are reliable GA facts, tested on the person, the art form (Pandavani), the state (Chhattisgarh) and the honours held. Teejan Bai's Padma Vibhushan (2019) and her role as the first woman in the Kapalik style are especially high-yield.

Target Exams

SBI POIBPS POSSC CGLSSC CHSLRRB NTPCUPSC CSEState PCS

Background & Context

Pandavani is a traditional performing art of Chhattisgarh in which a lead singer narrates episodes from the Mahabharata (the story of the Pandavas) through song, dialogue and dramatic gesture, accompanied by instruments such as the ektara and tambura. It has two main styles: the seated Vedamati and the more theatrical, standing Kapalik style. The Padma awards — Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan — are among India's highest civilian honours, with the Padma Vibhushan being the second-highest after the Bharat Ratna. The Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's national academy for music, dance and drama, confers annual awards and a lifetime Fellowship. The Fukuoka Prize is a Japanese award recognising contributions to Asian culture.