With the death of Padma Vibhushan Teejan Bai, India has lost one of its most famous folk artists.The legendary Pandavani passed away at the age of 70 after battling a long illness, PTI reported. She died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Raipur, where she had been undergoing treatment for several weeks, Aaj Tak reported.Doctors at AIIMS confirmed her death as her condition worsened in the early hours.
Hospitalized after developing health complications
Teejan Bai was admitted to AIIMS in Raipur on May 27 this year after suffering from breathing difficulties and severe weakness. Doctors treating the veteran artist had earlier said she was suffering from life-threatening complications and multiple pre-existing conditions.According to hospital authorities, her health deteriorated significantly around 3:15 am on Saturday. Despite medical efforts, she could not be revived.
pioneer of pandavani
Born in 1956 in Ganiyari village in Durg district of Chhattisgarh, Teejan Bai dedicated her life to the preservation and promotion of Pandavani (traditional storytelling performance based on the Mahabharata).
A prestigious career
The Government of India awarded the veteran artist the Padma Shri in 1988, followed by the Sangeet Natak Academic Award in 1995. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2003, the same year she also received an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Bilaspur University.She received the MS Subbulakshmi Centenary Award in 2016, the prestigious Fukuoka Award in 2018 and the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian honor, in 2019.Veteran artist Teejan Bai’s rise from a small village in Chhattisgarh to one of India’s most renowned cultural ambassadors is undoubtedly inspiring.
