Meet Dr Teejan Bai

There is hardly a landmark to locate her house in Bhilai. Yet, visitors find it quite easily, without much struggle. Not far from Bhilai Ste...

There is hardly a landmark to locate her house in Bhilai. Yet, visitors find it quite easily, without much struggle. Not far from Bhilai Steel Plant BSP, a wooden nameplate with the name 8216;Padamshree Teejan Bai8217; is nailed deep on to the front wall of an ordinary-looking BSP quarter. A few days from now, Teejan Bai, the lone woman exponent of Pandavani folk will soon be entitled to add the suffix of doctor to her name.

8216;8216;I am sure, people will not confuse me with a sui-wala MBBS doctor,8217;8217; jokes Teejan Bai in her rustic Chhattisgarhi style, when asked for her reaction on Guru Ghansi Dass University8217;s decision to confer on her an honorary doctorate degree for her outstanding contributions to Pandavani narrative art form. 8216;8216;It8217;s great honour for me, an illiterate person. This great art, which earlier won me the Padamshree and took me to several countries, now grants me a new recognition. I often ask my soul if I really deserve all this. Then quietly comes a whisper in my ears 8212; 8216;It8217;s all God8217;s grace,8217;8217;8217; she says enthusiastically. The doctorate degree will be presented to her in the next convocation of the university slated early this year.

Teejan Bai does not take the credit for the energy and vigour that are the hallmark of her performances. 8216;8216;I fail to understand the source of this immense energy that ignites my body and helps me perform a flawless narration of the Mahabharata,8217;8217; she says.

The artist however does not shy away from crediting her self with having created her own style as the only Pandavani performer, a style which remains unchanged for past three decades. She prides herself for having stayed away from television performances, which other folk artists took to after improvising with their respective art forms. In fact, this is one of the reasons why she claims to have been to keep her performances true to her own style.

The artiste takes her art form abroad with an even greater sense of responsibility. 8216;8216;Often people come rushing to me after the shows to know more and I feel happy to narrate interesting sequences or deliver my favourite dialogues for them,8217;8217; she recalls.

Although Paris is her favourite destination for performances, she longs to make her debut in Pakistan. 8216;8216;I am keen to let people in Pakistan take lessons from the Mahabharata,8217;8217; she explains. But for now, this dance instructor at the higher-secondary school run by the Bhilai Steel Plant, wishes to see a crop of young Pandavani performers take up from where she will leave.