BJP leader and former Union Minister Smriti Irani on Sunday, 5 July 2026, paid tribute to Dr. Teejan Bai, the Padma Vibhushan-honoured maestro of Pandavani, calling her passing 'the close of a golden chapter in India's folk tradition.'

Context

Irani's post, written in Hindi, mourned the death of Dr. Teejan Bai, describing her as an 'apratim sadhika' (unparalleled devotee) of Pandavani — the traditional Chhattisgarh folk form built around episodes from the Mahabharata. She wrote that Teejan Bai had carried Pandavani 'from the village chaupal to the global stage' through the power of her performance. Irani also prayed for the departed soul to find peace and for strength to be granted to her bereaved family, disciples, and admirers, closing with the traditional invocation 'Om Shanti.'

Policy Backdrop

Dr. Teejan Bai was one of the most celebrated recipients of the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honour, instituted in 1954 to recognise exceptional contribution to arts, culture, literature, and public service. Her art form, Pandavani, is rooted in Chhattisgarh and involves solo vocal storytelling of Mahabharata narratives, historically performed before rural audiences. Over decades, successive governments and cultural institutions used civilian honours and national festivals to bring such regional traditions to wider, including international, audiences — a trajectory that Teejan Bai's own career embodied.

Leaders across the political spectrum have consistently issued public condolences on the passing of Padma-awarded artists, framing regional folk forms as inseparable from national cultural heritage. Irani's tribute follows that established pattern while also invoking the theme of nari shakti — women's strength — noting that Teejan Bai's life was 'an exemplary illustration of the courage, struggle, and resolve of Indian folk art, cultural heritage, and women's power.'

Stakeholders and Impact

Teejan Bai's passing is felt most immediately by the community of Pandavani practitioners and folk-art institutions in Chhattisgarh, as well as her disciples who have trained under her. Her decades of performance also built an international audience for the form, making her loss significant beyond regional borders. Women folk performers across India, who often cite her as a trailblazer who broke social barriers to sustain an oral tradition, lose a defining icon.

The broader cultural ecosystem — from government-run Sangeet Natak Akademi programmes to state-level folk festivals — will need to consider how Teejan Bai's legacy and the Pandavani tradition are preserved and transmitted to younger generations.

What's Next

Official statements from the Chhattisgarh government and central cultural bodies on memorial events, state honours, or dedicated cultural programmes in Teejan Bai's name are expected in the coming weeks. Her disciples and associated institutions are likely to announce initiatives to document and carry forward the Pandavani tradition she spent a lifetime elevating.