Padma Shri and State Honors awarded artists, litterateurs and cultural icons paid heartfelt tribute to Padma Vibhushan Dr. Teejan Bai at the Muktakashi stage

Padma Shri and State Honors awarded artists, litterateurs and cultural icons paid heartfelt tribute to Padma Vibhushan Dr. Teejan Bai at the Muktakashi stage Padma Vibhushan Dr. Teejan Bai will have an annual state award announced in the field of Pandwani art in her name The village of Ganiyari will be developed as a cultural village Culture Minister Mr Rajesh Agrawal announced the tribute ceremony for Padma Vibhushan Dr. Teejan Bai Raipur 08 July 2026 The great practitioner of Pandwani who elevated Chhattisgarh folk culture onto the world stage, the late Padma Vibhushan Dr. Teejan Bai, was given a moving musical tribute on Wednesday at the Muktakashi stage in the Mahant Ghasidas Museum complex in Raipur. Distinguished personalities from folk art, literature and culture paid homage to her life, devotion and unique cultural contributions. In line with the inspiration and intention of Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Dev Sai, the event featured Tourism and Culture Minister Shri Rajesh Agrawal making three major announcements to make the memory of the late Dr. Teejan Bai everlasting. He announced that an annual state award in Pandwani art will be conferred in her name, that her birthplace Ganiyari village will be developed as a cultural village, and that her beloved tambure will be preserved and displayed in the Mahant Ghasidas Museum complex in Raipur for future generations to draw inspiration. During the program Minister Rajesh Agrawal also presented a cheque of one lakh rupees to Dr. Teejan Bai's daughter-in-law Mrs Venu Deshmukh. Mrs Venu expressed gratitude to Culture Minister Rajesh Agrawal and the Culture Department, stating that the honor belongs not only to the family but to the entire folk tradition. He said that a voice never remains silent, it transcends time and resonates in public consciousness for ages. Dr. Teejan Bai's voice is the immortal sound of Chhattisgarh's folk soul and will continually connect future generations to its culture, tradition and pride. She was not just a great folk singer but a living embodiment of Chhattisgarh's cultural identity. The state will always be proud of her and her timeless folk songs will continue to echo in our cultural consciousness. He affirmed that the state government is fully committed to preserving and promoting folk arts and that the announcements in Dr. Teejan's memory reflect this resolve. The ceremony also saw Minister Rajesh Agrawal, Culture Department Secretary Mr S Bharati Dasan and Director Dr Sanjay Kannauj unveil a special brochure on Dr. Teejan's life and artistic journey. Guests offered flowers to her portrait and the department screened a documentary on her life. The musical tribute began with folk artist Pushpa Nishad performing Pandwani. It was followed by her disciples Taruna Sahu, Aadhya Sahu and Durga Sahu presenting powerful Pandwani in the Kapalik style, and Mr Dushyant Dwivedi adding a Vaidmati Pandwani performance, making the program even more emotive. The performances moved the audience deeply. Literary figures, artists and culture lovers shared memories of Dr. Teejan, recalling her personality and artistic devotion. Speakers noted that she brought Chhattisgarh's folk culture to global recognition. Artists also demanded that she be posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna and that a Pandwani and cultural university be established in her name. Numerous dignitaries attended, including Chairman of the Chhattisgarh Rajbhasha Commission Mr Prabhat Mishra, Chairman of the Chhattisgarh Sahitya Akademi Mr Shashank Sharma, Chairperson of Chhattisgarh Film Development Corporation Ms Mona Sen, Minority Commission Chairman Mr Amarjit Chabdar, Chairman of the Seeds and Agricultural Development Corporation Mr Chandrashekhar Chandrakar, Chairman of the Chhattisgarh Waqf Board Mr Saleem Raj, UCC member Mr Mohan Pawar and many others. Literary personalities such as Dr P.C. Lal Yadav, Mr Pardeesiram Verma, Dr Sushil Trivedi, and artists Padma Shri Mamta Chandrakar, Padma Shri Bharti Bandhu, Padma Shri Usha Barle, Padma Shri Radheshyam Barle, Meera Ali Meer, Nirmala Thakur, Mokshada Chandrakar, Mr Sunil Sony, Kiran Sharma, Kavita Vasnik, Rakesh Tiwari, Saraswati Barle, Vanda Barle, Durga Sahu, historian Acharya Ramendra Nath Mishra, Ashok Tiwari, collector of Chhattisgarhi instruments Rekhi Kshatriya, Chetan Devangan, Ratna Pandey and Sudhir Sharma and many more artists and writers attended. The event was chaired by Chairman of the Chhattisgarh Rajbhasha Commission Mr Prabhat Mishra and Mr Arun Nirmalkar. At the close, Ms Mona Sen of the Film Development Corporation thanked the audience, saying the late Dr. Teejan Bai, through her voice, not only promoted Pandwani but also projected Chhattisgarh's cultural identity onto the world stage. The true tribute is to carry forward her folk art, tradition and values to the next generation. The participation of every artist, writer and culture lover present today symbolizes collective respect. The Culture Department and state government will continue to work tirelessly to preserve this invaluable heritage. Though the great artist may no longer be physically present, her art, devotion and cultural legacy will forever live in society's consciousness. Dr. Teejan Bai's immortal voice will remain a source of inspiration for future generations and will continue to echo in Chhattisgarh's folk stream.