Teejan Bai – The Connoisseur of Pandavani Art Who Fought All Odds to Keep Her Passion Alive

As a young girl, Teejan Bai would listen to her grandmother sing stories from the Mahabharata which was recited in Chattisgarhi Hindi. She was so fascinated by the musical rendition that she soon memorized it and later got herself informally trained in this art which is called Pandavani. She gave her first performance in a neighbouring village at the age of 13 and then there was no looking back. There are generally two styles of singing Pandavani- one is the Vedamati style in which traditionally women would sit and sing. The other is the Kapalik shaili (style) which only men performed while standing. Teejan Bai defied tradition and became the first woman to adopt the Kapalik style of singing for which she faced much opposition. Teejan Bai sang with such enthusiasm and unmistakable verve that she instantly became a hit and was invited to sing at numerous occasions and festivals even in neighbouring villages. Her lucky break came when she was noticed by poet and actor Habib Tanvir who was impressed by her talent and he invited her to perform for then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. She received national and international recognition and as a cultural ambassador, she flew to countries as far as England, France, Switzerland, Germany, Turkey, Tunisia, Malta, Cyprus, Romania and Mauritius. For her bold stand on singing Pandavani which was generally performed by men, Teejan Bai was expelled by her community. Not to be deterred by exclusion, she built herself a small hut and started living on her own, but never stopped singing Pandavani which had by now become a way of life. For the proficiency in her art and her immense talent, Teejan Bai was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1995, Padma Shri in 1988, and Padma Bhushan in 2003. This year she was conferred with Padma Vibhushan- nation’s second-highest civilian honour. Teejan Bai, now 63, feels honoured and grateful for the awards bestowed on her. She wishes to preserve this culture and art of Chattisgarh and is therefore, teaching Pandavani art to the young generation. She has already trained more than 200 girls and will continue to remain an inspiration to young art lovers.