Mumbai, July 6 -- Teejan Bai, the legendary Pandavani exponent, whose ringing voice carried tales of the Mahabharata from the villages of Chhattisgarh to concert halls across the world, died in Raipur on Sunday following a prolonged illness. She was 70. Born into a tribal Pardhi family in Ganiyari village in present-day Chhattisgarh, Teejan Bai inherited the narrative tradition from her grandfather who performed the Pandavani or songs of the Pandavas as an itinerant village musician. But it was Teejan Bai whose theatrical presentations took the centuries-old oral tradition beyond the villages of Chhattisgarh onto the national and international arena. When she stepped onto a stage, her single-stringed ektara tucked under her arm, which she wielded as a shape-shifting prop, she brought the Mahabharata alive. She blended music, theatre, poetry and emotion with her voice, gestures and rhythm, displaying a masterful command of her material. She also broke barriers in a world where women folk artistes were considered subservient to the men. Teejan Bai was the first woman to perform the Pandavani in the physically demanding Kapalik style, where her instrument staff became Bhima's mace, Arjuna's bow, Duryodhana's sceptre or Draupadi's searing rage. Shifting identities with ease and pacing the stage rather than being seated, her resonant voice and verve claimed what was an exclusively male domain. Her journey began astonishingly early, making her first public performance at a village in Durg district at 13, a year after her marriage. "It led to me being thrown out by my husband and in-laws. Ostracised by my own community, I often went hungry but wouldn't let go of my art," she had told this writer after a Mumbai performance in 2009. When recognition finally arrived, it made her one of India's foremost cultural ambassadors. For leading classical vocalist Shubha Mudgal, Teejan Bai became the very gateway to Pandavani. "As a young student of classical music in Allahabad, now known as Prayagraj, I had no exposure to Pandavani," Mudgal recalls. "It was through Teejan Bai, and the many articles about her, that I learnt of the art form and her unmatched contribution in making it accessible for women performers." Though Mudgal only met her occasionally as a fellow-performer at festivals, those encounters left a lasting impression. "Teejan Bai's greatest performance may well have been the life she chose to live. In a world where beliefs, ideologies, values are often on sale...Teejan Bai stands as an exemplar who surrendered only to Pandavani," says Mudgal. That surrender produced performances unlike any other as the boundaries between storyteller, musician, actor and devotee simply dissolved. Senior Bharatanatyam exponent Malavika Sarukkai believes that was her rarest gift. Even those unfamiliar with Chhattisgarhi found themselves spellbound because, "The emotional truth of her storytelling transcended language, making grief, valour, betrayal and devotion instantly intelligible," says Sarukkai. Maestro Habib Tanvir, the legendary theatre visionary, also from Chhattisgarh, was among the first to recognise Teejan Bai's star power, and he helped bring her to national attention. Soon, Pandavani, once confined to village gatherings, was captivating audiences across continents without ever relinquishing its Chhattisgarhi soul. "She proved that folk art need not aspire to classicalism to command reverence. It only needed an artist courageous enough to believe in it completely," says Kathak exponent Saswati Sen. Recognition followed in abundance: Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and the highest honours of the Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) but those who encountered her remember something more intimate than decorations. Veteran Manipuri exponent Darshana Jhaveri recalls meeting Teejan Bai at Rashtrapati Bhavan when both were honoured in 2023 with an SNA Fellowship by President Droupadi Murmu. "Though her health was failing, that unmistakable spark was clearly felt when we spoke," she remembers. Later, despite her frailty, Teejan Bai joined fellow awardees in a brief performance. "Gracious and polite to a fault, I'll never forget her 1000-watt smile." President Murmu, PM Narendra Modi and Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai also paid tributes to the legend, condoling her death. "...Through her grand performances, she gave this folk art form of Chhattisgarh a unique identity across the world. Her departure is an irreplaceable loss to the world of art and culture..." Modi wrote on X. Her voice may have fallen silent but somewhere, in every telling of the Mahabharata, in every young woman who refuses to accept that tradition belongs only to the men, and in every performer who steps fearlessly into the light, Teejan Bai will continue to sing....