Renowned Pandavani folk singer Teejan Bai died in Raipur in the early hours of Sunday following prolonged illness. She was 69 years old.
Teejan Bai was the only person from Chhattisgarh to have been awarded the Padma Vibhushan.
Expressing grief over her death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a social media post, “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!”
सुप्रसिद्ध पंडवानी गायिका तीजन बाई जी के निधन से अत्यंत दुख हुआ है। उन्होंने छत्तीसगढ़ की इस लोक कला को अपनी भव्य प्रस्तुति से दुनियाभर में एक विशिष्ट पहचान दिलाई। उनका जाना कला एवं संस्कृति जगत के लिए एक अपूरणीय क्षति है। शोक की इस घड़ी में मेरी संवेदनाएं उनके परिजनों और…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 5, 2026
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai described Teejan Bai’s passing as an irreparable loss, not only to Chhattisgarh’s folk tradition, but also for the entire country.
She had been receiving treatment at AIIMS Raipur for over a month, after being admitted on May 27 with breathing difficulty and general weakness. She was subsequently put on ventilator support.
The hospital said in a statement, “Despite continuous monitoring, intensive care, and comprehensive treatment by experts from various specialities, her condition remained extremely critical. In the early hours of July 5, 2026, at approximately 2.45 am, she suffered a cardiac arrest. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was initiated immediately and carried out as per established advanced life support protocols. However, despite all possible efforts, she could not be revived and was declared deceased at 3.15 am. Her family members were informed immediately.”
Illustrious career
Born on August 8, 1956, in Atari Patan in Chhattigarh’s Durg district, Teejan Bai developed a fondness for singing at an early age. From the age of 13, she started singing Pandvani after learning about it from her grandfather, Brij Lal Pardhi. Pandavani is a folk singing style that involves the narration of tales from the Mahabharata.
After receiving formal training from Ummaid Singh Deshmukh, she gave her first performance, at the age of 13, at Gram Chandrakhuri in Durg. She then got an opportunity from the Adiwasi Lok Kala Parkshad to perform at Bharat Bhawan in Bhopal.
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Her career later took off, and she performed across the country and abroad, taking Pandvani to nations like France, Switzerland, Germany, England, Malta, Cyprus, Tunisia, Italy, Yemen, Bangladesh and Mauritius.
Among the many accolades she won over the years were the Padma Shri in 1988, recognition as Shreshth Kala Acharya in 1994, the Sangeet Natak Academy prize in 1996, the Padma Bhushan in 2003, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2019.
Teejan Bai had three sons, two of whom have passed away. Savitri Bai, her daughter-in-law, who was with her in hospital for over a month, told The Indian Express, “She was unable to speak for six to seven months, but she communicated with hand gestures. When that, too, stopped, we admitted her to the hospital.”
