Madhya Pradesh To Preserve Pandavani Singer Teejanbai's Art And Legacy

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to preserve the art form and legacy of legendary Pandavani singer Teejanbai. Audio and video recordings of her performances in India and abroad, the sanads (certificates) of her Padma awards, newspaper and magazine clippings on her and her performances, printed, radio and television interviews with her, and photographs are being collected from different places and institutions across the state and the country.

Teejanbai passed away on July 5 this year in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. The project is being handled by the Madhya Pradesh Adivasi Lok Kala Evam Boli Vikas Academy.

A team from the Tribal Museum, which functions under the academy, travelled to AIIMS, Raipur, where she had been admitted since May, to interview her. She, however, could not speak and the interview was conducted through sign language.

The team also visited her home in her native village in Chhattisgarh and recorded video interviews with her family members and disciples. It also collected audio and video recordings and other material related to her from her home.

An archive on Teejanbai will be created at the Tribal Museum using the collected material.

"She was one of the foremost Tribal artistes of the undivided Madhya Pradesh. It is our duty to preserve her legacy for the coming generations," said Tribal Museum curator Ashok Mishra.