Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday, 5 July 2026, expressed deep grief over the passing of Padma Vibhushan awardee and legendary Pandavani folk singer Teejan Bai, calling her death an irreparable loss to India's art world.

Context

Gadkari posted his condolences in Hindi on X, writing: 'प्रख्यात पंडवानी गायिका पद्म विभूषण तीजन बाई जी के निधन का समाचार अत्यंत दुःखद है' ('The news of the passing of renowned Pandavani singer Padma Vibhushan Teejan Bai is extremely saddening'). He offered his heartfelt tribute, saying she had given the Pandavani folk art form its identity through her voice. He concluded with a prayer: 'ईश्वर दिवंगत आत्मा को शांति प्रदान करे और परिजनों को संबल दे। ॐ शांति' ('May God grant peace to the departed soul and strength to her family. Om Shanti').

Gadkari described her departure as an 'irreparable loss' (अपूरणीय क्षति) to the country's cultural world — language that signals the gravity with which the Union government views her contribution to India's intangible heritage.

Policy Backdrop

Teejan Bai, born in Chhattisgarh, was one of the most celebrated exponents of Pandavani — a traditional oral performance tradition that draws on episodes from the Mahabharata and is deeply rooted in the folk culture of central India. She was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award, in recognition of her decades-long contribution to reviving and popularising this endangered art form both within India and internationally.

Union ministers routinely issue formal public condolences on the passing of Padma awardees in classical and folk traditions, reflecting a long-standing practice of acknowledging custodians of regional oral epics and performing arts. Teejan Bai's recognition placed her among a rare cohort of folk artists to receive the Padma Vibhushan, underscoring the national stature she had attained.

Stakeholders and Impact

Teejan Bai's passing is a significant moment for the community of folk artists across Chhattisgarh and the broader Hindi-speaking heartland, where Pandavani has been a living tradition for generations. Her work brought the form to urban concert halls, international stages, and academic attention, helping ensure it was not confined to rural performance circuits.

Cultural organisations, folk music practitioners, and institutions engaged in the documentation of India's intangible heritage are expected to mark her passing. Her legacy also intersects with ongoing government efforts to preserve endangered folk forms under various cultural outreach programmes.

What's Next

Following the deaths of prominent Padma awardees, state and central governments have in the past announced memorials, archival projects, or schemes supporting the art forms they championed. The Chhattisgarh government and the Union Ministry of Culture may be expected to consider similar steps to honour Teejan Bai's legacy and support the continuation of Pandavani as a living tradition.

Her passing renews focus on the need for sustained institutional support for folk performers who, like Teejan Bai, carry entire oral traditions on their shoulders — and on what happens to those traditions when such singular voices are lost.