Legendary Pandavani Singer Teejan Bai Dies at 70

Legendary Pandavani folk singer and Padma Vibhushan awardee Teejan Bai died in Raipur on Sunday, July 5, 2026, after a prolonged illness. She was 70 years old.

Bai passed away at approximately 3:15 a.m. at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Raipur, where she had been undergoing treatment since May 27. Doctors reported she was admitted with severe breathing difficulties and weakness and was suffering from multiple age-related health complications.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led tributes to the iconic artist, expressing grief over her passing. In a post on social media, he said her death was an irreplaceable loss to art and culture and that her grand performances had given Chhattisgarh's folk art a unique identity across the world. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai announced that Bai would be accorded full state honours for her last rites, calling her the pride of the state.

Born in 1956 in Ganiyari village in Chhattisgarh's Durg district, Teejan Bai was widely credited with transforming Pandavani from a regional tradition into a globally recognized performing art. Pandavani is a traditional storytelling form from Chhattisgarh that narrates episodes...