Pandavani Pioneer Teejan Bai Dies at 70, Broke Gender Barriers in Folk Music
Teejan Bai, the legendary exponent of Pandavani who defied centuries-old gender norms to become the first woman from her community to perform the folk form, died at AIIMS Raipur in the early hours of Sunday after a prolonged illness. She was 70.
Born in Ganiyari, near Bhilai in Chhattisgarh, Teejan Bai grew up listening to her mother's bhajans and was captivated by Pandavani ballads narrated by her maternal grandfather, Brijlal Pardhi. At the time, the tradition was performed exclusively by men. When she decided to sing, her family opposed her. Married at 12, she left her husband's home at 13 to pursue music and was ostracised by the Pardhi community for performing a form considered blasphemous for women.
Her first public performance at age 13 in Chandrakhuri village earned her Rs 10. Standing in the Kapalik style, moving freely across the stage and enacting characters from the Mahabharata with an ektaara on her shoulder, she quickly captivated audiences. She spent years living alone in a small hut, but soon invitations to perform beyond her village followed.
Her life changed in the 1970s when eminent Urdu playwright Habib Tanvir saw her performing in Madhya Pradesh and was struck by her guttural voice and confident stage presence. He integrated her into his Naya Theatre Group and arranged a showcase for then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, which propelled her to national and international fame. She performed widely, including in Paris eight times.
Teejan Bai received India's highest civilian honours: Padma Shri in 1988, Padma Bhushan in 2003, Padma Vibhushan in 2019, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1995. She trained about 200 students in Pandavani over her career, though none of her own children took up the art. Her legacy lies in breaking barriers for women performers, transforming a traditional male-dominated oral narrative into a globally recognised art form.
She had been unable to speak for over six months before her death and communicated through hand gestures. She is survived by her family and countless admirers.
