Teejanbai- A Cultural Icon and a Synonym to the Art Form ‘Pandvani’
- In History & Culture
- 08:03 PM, May 18, 2019
- Richa Yadav
Indic culture has unassumingly nurtured innumerable artists, singers, dancers, acrobats, jugglers, puppeteers, magicians, and folk artists. The forms may have been different but the intension has been the same, to carry forward the tradition of telling stories or communicating through ‘katha’. These stories or ‘katha’ had always been a source of meaningful communication and have balanced the blend of entertainment and enlightenment. It did not merely meaningfully engage the storyteller and the audience, “but more than that it quietly spread the primeval culture of the land”.[1]
We have witnessed and imbibed the tradition of conveying invaluable messages through the past to the futurity, in some form or the other. It was long back during the Kumbh mela at Prayagraj, when I heard the name of Teejan Bai for the first time. Visiting various pandals, one after the other, we were compelled to stop at one which was immensely crowded; the stage was not visible, only a rasping voice could be heard singing over the mike, with some music in the background. As a passerby, I asked many people absolutely glued to stage, as to what was going on. Some said ‘pandvani, others replied ‘Teejan Bai’. Since then the confusion has persisted, how to distinguish between the artist and the art form. Teejan Bai is an artist who has given such heights to her art form ‘Pandvani’ that her name has almost become synonymous to the art form.
The word ‘Pandavani’ means ‘songs of the Pandavas', the legendary five brothers from the ancient epic Mahabharata. ‘Pandvani’ is a vibrant art form which recites those stories. It is a very popular traditional, lyrical folk singing style of Chhattisgarh, a state in India which was earlier a part of Madhya Pradesh. Usually, no props are used during the performance. The artist sings and enacts the episodes from the epic with instrumental accompaniments like an ektara or a tambura, kartal, harmonium, table & dholka (a kind of percussion instruments) and majira (cymbal).
There are mainly two kinds of tale in Pandavani - Vedamati and Kapalik.[2] In the Vedamati form, the main artist narrates the story while sitting on the floor. In the Kapalik form of Pandvani, the artists enact the stories and make the rendition more lively and powerful. The singers improvise the act of narration with dance, mixed use of words from local language hinting to interesting nuances about the characters and episodes from the epic, adding humor and insight into the story. A few decades back, art was only adopted by men.
It is an interesting to learn how come Teejan Bai got associated with this male-dominated art form. She was born on April 24th, 1956 in Ganiyari village, Chhattisgarh, to a Pardhi tribal family of Chunuk Lal Pardhi and his wife Sukhwati. She says she was introduced to the art by her grandfather when she heard Pandvani folk song for the first time from him. She was so enchanted by the stories that she could not sleep for days. The little girl instantly picked up those stories, memorized them, imbibed them, and began singing them in her own style. She was completely enthralled by the art; it was her calling and she had to listen to it. She began learning the art first informally from her grandfather, and then, later on, reached out to other teachers like Umed Singh Deshmukh to learn the art further.
There were several eyebrows raising about a girl’s passion for a male-dominated folk art simply meant to entertain people. She was punished at home and turned out of the house as well. The lady built a hut for herself and received alms from others for subsistence. She started her singing career at a young age of 13 when she gave her first public performance in a neighboring village, Chandrakhuri for a pittance of ten rupees. Within a short time, she became known in neighboring villages and invitations poured to perform at special occasions and festivals.
In no time, bedecked with enormous gift for soulful singing in her guttural voice, Teejan Bai has defined art in her own way. Through her powerful expressions, she floats and dives into different shades of feminine and masculine characters from Mahabharat. This ability has made her an international artist. This also proves that aesthetics comes from within, a true artist is made not through formal literacy but through an uncanny sense of art appreciation.
Enigmatic Teejan Bai is firmly situated within the regional repertoire; bringing to life with pure artistry, she completely enthralls the audience with her the immense command over the art. During the performance, she drapes vibrant colored sarees and wears ethnic jewelry like the banduriya necklace and armband.[1] She begins to create her own imagery through the characters of Mahabharat, her only prop- the three stringed ‘tambura’ in her hand, switches roles as queen Draupadi’s hair, then a mace of Bheem, then even transforms to personify a bow of Arjun, or at times Krishna’s chariot. Her tambura even represents Saraswati and Hanuman, depending on the demand of her story.
She has traveled throughout the world as a cultural ambassador for her performances and during her incredible journey attained several awards and recognition. She has appeared frequently on radio and TV channels, performed in various folk festivals and Mahotsav all over the country. She has performed through ‘Spic Macay’, an organization which promotes Indian culture and heritage. She was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1995. She got most coveted Padmashree award in 1988, awarded an Honorary doctorate in 2003, Padma Bhushan in 2003, MS Subbalaxmi Centenary Award in 2016, the Fukuoka prize in 2018 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2019.
Habib Tanvir, a famous theatre personality from Madhya Pradesh, gave her an opportunity to work in the historic serial ‘Bharat Ek Khoj’. She has her name in Guinness book of world records. The folk singer featured in a short film titled “Jan Gan Man” made by the Chhattisgarh Government. A biopic on the veteran artist is in the pipeline.
When asked in several interviews about the secret key to her success, Teejan Bai gives the most convincing answer- one has to surrender to the art, leaving one’s ego and completely absorb while one is learning. Another important thing for an artist is to stay connected and grounded.
This epic, folk tradition is vanishing. Teejan Bai is engaged in teaching the art to many of her disciples to save the diminishing art form. However, she herself feels that it’s hard to prepare another Teejan Bai as the intense desire to learn and excel has to come from within, and the new generation does not evince that deep thirst to learn a folk art.
Ritu Verma, Shanti Bai Chelak, Jhaduram Dewangan, and Usha Barle are some other accomplished folk artists. Chhattisgarhi may not be comprehended by all, but Pandvani artist Teejan is undoubtedly, a living legend of another dying regional, oral, intellectual, and artistic tradition.
References:
[1] Joyce Burkhalter Flueckiger. Chapter Title: Paṇḍvānī Heroines, Chhattisgarhi Daughters Paṇḍvānī. Book Title: Gender and Genre in the Folklore of Middle India. Published by: Cornell University Press. (1996)
[1] H.K. Ranganath. Katha-Kirtan. India International Centre Quarterly, Vol. 10, No. 2, MEDIA: response and change (JUNE 1983), pp. 199-205 Published by India International Centre.
[2] https://www.paramparaproject.org/traditions_gammat-theater.html
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