Legendary Pandwani singer and Padma Vibhushan awardee Teejan Bai passed away in the early hours of Sunday, 5 July 2025, at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Raipur, ending a prolonged battle with illness. She was 70. Hospital officials confirmed she breathed her last at 3.15 am, having been under treatment since 27 May for severe lung infection, bloodstream infection (sepsis), and acute kidney injury.

President Murmu Mourns the Loss

President Droupadi Murmu described the passing as 'extremely heartbreaking', paying tribute to the folk icon in a post on X. 'The news of the demise of the renowned Pandavani artist Smt. Teejan Bai ji is extremely heartbreaking. With her powerful voice, commanding presence, and unique style of presentation, she brought the tales of the Mahabharata to life on stage,' Murmu wrote.

The President further noted that Teejan Bai's 'exceptional talent, dedication, and years of rigorous practice' had carried Chhattisgarh's Pandwani tradition to audiences both within India and internationally. 'Her invaluable contribution to the dissemination of India's cultural heritage will remain memorable,' she added, extending condolences to the singer's family and admirers.

From Ganiyari Village to the Global Stage

Born in 1956 in Ganiyari village near Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, Teejan Bai rose from modest origins to become one of the most celebrated folk artists India has produced. She is widely regarded as the foremost exponent of Pandwani — a Chhattisgarh folk tradition in which stories from the Mahabharata are narrated through powerful singing and dramatic, expressive performance.

Her distinctive style — marked by deep emotional intensity and high-energy delivery, performed while seated on stage — distinguished her from contemporaries and brought a relatively obscure regional art form into mainstream and international consciousness.

A Career Decorated with India's Highest Honours

Over her decades-long career, Teejan Bai received some of India's most prestigious civilian awards. She was conferred the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2003, and the Padma Vibhushan — the nation's second-highest civilian honour — in 2019. She also received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1995, among several other recognitions for her contribution to Indian folk culture.

A Voice That Kept an Oral Tradition Alive

Pandwani, as a performance tradition, relies heavily on the practitioner's ability to embody multiple characters from the Mahabharata through voice and gesture alone. Teejan Bai's mastery of this form helped sustain it through decades when many regional folk arts faced declining audiences. Her international performances introduced the tradition to listeners far beyond Chhattisgarh's borders.

With her passing, India loses one of its most irreplaceable cultural custodians. The full extent of her legacy will continue to be felt in the Pandwani tradition she devoted her life to preserving.