Overview
- Teejan Bai was pronounced dead at AIIMS Raipur early Sunday after being treated since May 27 for breathing problems and multiple serious illnesses; hospital officials said she suffered a cardiac arrest and breathed her last at 3:15 a.m.
- She pioneered the Kapalik, or standing, style of Pandavani as a young woman and broke local gender norms by performing a form previously dominated by men.
- Over a decades-long career she gave more than 1,000 performances at home and abroad and received major honours including the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.
- National and state leaders, including the prime minister and the president, paid tribute to her contribution to India’s cultural heritage and the Chhattisgarh government said it will accord state honours at her last rites.
- Her death leaves a gap in the living tradition of Pandavani and is expected to prompt renewed attention to preserving the art and supporting the next generation of performers who carry the regional storytelling form forward.