New Delhi: Lokmanthan has paid tribute to Padma Vibhushan recipient and Pandavani singer Teejan Bai, calling her the “immortal voice-priestess of India’s folk consciousness” after her death on July 5 following a long illness.
Teejan Bai, known for bringing Chhattisgarh’s folk culture and the Pandavani tradition to international attention, died at AIIMS Raipur. She received a state funeral in her home village of Ganiyari in Durg district.
In a statement, Lokmanthan general secretary J. Nandakumar expressed deep sorrow, saying the loss of the leading practitioner of Indian folk culture and global representative of Pandavani is profoundly saddening.
The statement noted that Indian folk art has lost both a major artist and a cultural figure who gave expression to the spirit of folk life.
Lokmanthan highlighted her powerful voice, performances and lifelong work that raised the Pandavani tradition of Chhattisgarh to worldwide recognition. Her presentations of the Mahabharata, linked to folk language and Indian values, created a distinctive chapter in the country’s cultural heritage.
The tribute added that Teejan Bai showed folk arts serve as carriers of society’s collective memory and cultural continuity. Her efforts brought global recognition to Indian folk traditions, encouraged younger generations and inspired many artists.
Lokmanthan recalled her participation in its 2016 event in Bhopal, where her performance and interactions with young artists left a lasting impression.
The organisation described her life as reflecting the values it seeks to uphold. Although her physical voice is gone, her dedication and the tradition she preserved will continue to resonate in Indian culture, the statement said.
Lokmanthan offered its respects and prayed for peace for her family, disciples and the folk art community. The tribute concluded with “Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.”
