Venue: India Habitat Center

The story of a little girl from Chhatisgarh becoming –  Teejan Bai –  the torch bearer for Pandavani,  is legendary.

And we had the great fortune of watching her in action as part of the’ Love Ballads from India at India Habitat Centre. We were told that age has caught on and she was not as agile on stage as she was earlier.  But she proved the adage that “one is as old as one thinks” – correct.

Incidentally, Pandavani is a folk theatre form from Chhatisgarh where stories from the Mahabharat are narrated like a ballad.  That evening, Teejan Bai performed ‘Subhadra Haran’ (elopement of Lord Krishna’s sister Subhadra, with Arjun).

Clad in her trademark red saree and decked with heavy silver ornaments, she was the usual power house.  With her long strides across the stage, rhythmical gait and her powerful voice, within no time she mesmerized the packed house. The narration, mostly in Hindi, was clear and very engaging. The songs were in Chhatisgarhi but given her powerful rendition, ably supported by her team of musicians and singers, these were as captivating. Her dedication to the art was awe inspiring.

Last but not the least we were humbled by Teejan Bai’s humility. She apologized for being late since her train was delayed. In fact, at the beginning of the program, she sought forgiveness for flaws in her performance as she said she was not an educated woman.

But education and literacy are not synonymous and we bow down to her for all that she stands for.