Pandwani legend Teejan Bai dies at 70; PM Modi mourns irreplaceable loss
Synopsis
India has lost the living institution of Pandwani. Teejan Bai, who took a little-known Chhattisgarh folk tradition narrating Mahabharata tales and carried it to concert stages worldwide, died at AIIMS Raipur at 3.15 am on 6 July 2025. She was 70, a Padma Vibhushan awardee, and arguably irreplaceable — because Pandwani, as the world knew it, was largely her.
Key Takeaways
Teejan Bai , celebrated Pandwani singer and Padma Vibhushan awardee, died at AIIMS Raipur at 3.15 am on 6 July 2025 .
She was 70 and had been hospitalised since 27 May , battling lung infection, sepsis, and acute kidney injury.
Born in Ganiyari village near Bhilai, Chhattisgarh in 1956 , she is credited with bringing Pandwani — a Mahabharata-based folk tradition — to a global audience.
Her honours include the Padma Shri (1988) , Padma Bhushan (2003) , Padma Vibhushan (2019) , and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1995) .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted condolences on X , calling her passing 'an irreplaceable loss to the world of art and culture.'
Padma Vibhushan awardee and celebrated Pandwani singer Teejan Bai passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Raipur, in the early hours of Sunday, 6 July 2025, after battling a prolonged illness. She was 70. Hospital officials confirmed she breathed her last at 3.15 am, ending a weeks-long battle with severe lung infection, bloodstream infection (sepsis), and acute kidney injury. She had been undergoing treatment at AIIMS Raipur since 27 May.
A Voice That Carried the Mahabharata to the World
Born in 1956 in Ganiyari village near Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, Teejan Bai rose from modest origins to become one of the most internationally recognised faces of Indian folk art. She was widely regarded as the foremost exponent of Pandwani — a Chhattisgarh folk tradition in which episodes from the ancient epic Mahabharata are narrated through powerful singing and dramatic stage performance. Her seated-on-stage delivery, charged with deep emotion and physical intensity, was her signature — and it distinguished her from every performer who came before her.
Her art carried a lesser-known regional tradition to concert halls across the world, earning Pandwani a global audience it had never previously commanded.
A Career Decorated with India's Highest Honours
Over more than four decades on stage, Teejan Bai accumulated some of India's most prestigious civilian recognitions. She received the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2003, and the Padma Vibhushan — the nation's second-highest civilian honour — in 2019. The Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, conferred in 1995, further cemented her standing as a custodian of living Indian heritage.
Notably, her journey from Ganiyari to the global stage was achieved without formal institutional training — a fact that made her recognition by the Indian state all the more significant.
PM Modi and Official Condolences
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over her passing in a post on X, calling it an irreplaceable loss. Modi wrote: 'I am deeply saddened by the passing of the renowned Pandavani singer Teejan Bai ji. Through her grand performances, she gave this folk art form of Chhattisgarh a unique identity across the world. Her departure is an irreplaceable loss to the world of art and culture. In this hour of grief, my condolences are with her family and admirers. Om Shanti!'
What Her Passing Means for Indian Folk Culture
Teejan Bai was not merely a performer — she was, for many, the institution of Pandwani itself. With her passing, the tradition loses its most visible ambassador at a time when folk arts across India face mounting pressure from mainstream entertainment. This comes amid growing concern among cultural scholars about the succession gap in oral performance traditions, where the knowledge and style of a master rarely transfers intact to the next generation.
Her family and admirers across Chhattisgarh and the broader Indian arts community are in mourning. The full scope of tributes from state governments, cultural bodies, and fellow artists is expected to emerge in the coming days.
Point of View
But the institutional investment in ensuring Pandwani outlives her has been far less visible. The succession question is now urgent: who carries this form forward, and with what state or cultural-body support? The tributes will be many; the structural answer, historically, has been thin.
NationPress
5 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where did Teejan Bai pass away?
Teejan Bai passed away at AIIMS Raipur at 3.15 am on 6 July 2025. She had been receiving treatment at the hospital since 27 May, suffering from severe lung infection, sepsis, and acute kidney injury.
What is Pandwani, the art form Teejan Bai was known for?
Pandwani is a traditional folk art form of Chhattisgarh in which stories from the Mahabharata are narrated through singing and dramatic stage performance. Teejan Bai was its most celebrated exponent and is credited with bringing the tradition to international audiences.
What awards did Teejan Bai receive during her lifetime?
Teejan Bai received the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2003, and the Padma Vibhushan — India's second-highest civilian honour — in 2019. She was also conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1995.
What did PM Modi say about Teejan Bai's passing?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted condolences on X, writing that Teejan Bai's departure was 'an irreplaceable loss to the world of art and culture' and that through her performances she gave Pandwani 'a unique identity across the world.' He extended condolences to her family and admirers.
Where was Teejan Bai born and how did she rise to prominence?
Teejan Bai was born in 1956 in Ganiyari village near Bhilai, Chhattisgarh. Without formal institutional training, she mastered Pandwani and performed across India and internationally, making a regionally obscure folk tradition globally recognised over four decades.
