India, July 6 -- When a 13-year-old Teejan Bai stood on a makeshift stage in a Durg village to narrate stories from the Mahabharata, few imagined the tribal girl, once ostracised for singing in public, would become the global face of Chhattisgarh's folk tradition.

Standing on stage, wielding her tambura (a stringed musical instrument) like Bhima's mace, she transformed storytelling into theatre. Her commanding voice, expressions and presence breathed life into every character of the Mahabharata.

Teejan Bai, the legendary Pandavani exponent who died at 70 on Sunday after a prolonged illness, leaves behind a legacy that turned an ancient oral tradition into an internationally celebrated art.

Her journey from a poor tribal family in Ganiy...