People, Positions and Obituaries · 8 July 2026

Teejan Bai Passes Away (Padma Vibhushan Awardee)

Exam-focused facts from the 8 July 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

  • Teejan Bai, a noted Pandavani exponent, passed away at the age of 70 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Raipur.
  • Pandavani is a traditional performing art form originating in Chhattisgarh and also performed in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, involving the musical narration and enactment of stories from the Mahabharata.
  • Teejan Bai was the first woman from the Pardhi community to perform Pandavani, specialising in the Kapalik style where the performer stands and moves freely across the stage.
  • Teejan Bai was the only person from Chhattisgarh to have been awarded the Padma Vibhushan.
  • Her honours include the Padma Shri (1988), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1995), Padma Bhushan (2003), and Padma Vibhushan (2019).

View this story in the full daily briefing

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