Pandavani

Pandavani Latest News

Recently, the legendary Pandavani folk singer Teejan Bai who took Chhattisgarh’s traditional storytelling art to audiences across the world passed away.

About Pandavani

• Pandavani is one of India’s most distinctive oral storytelling traditions, originating in the central state of Chhattisgarh.
• The name literally means “the story of the Pandavas” and refers to a musical narration of episodes from the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata.

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Features of Pandavani

• Unlike classical theatre, Pandavani relies primarily on a single lead performer, who narrates the story while singing verses and acting out different characters.
• The performance is accompanied by musicians playing traditional instruments such as the harmonium, tabla, manjira, and dholak.
• The storyteller often carries a tambura or ektara, using it not just as a musical instrument but also as a prop that transforms into a weapon, chariot, mace, or bow depending on the scene being enacted.
• There are two styles of narration in Pandavani
  • Vedamati: In the Vedamati style, the lead artist narrates the story in a simple manner, sitting on the floor throughout the performance.
  • Kapalik: In this narrator enacts the incidents and characters. Performers move around the stage, adopt different voices, enact battle scenes, and use dramatic gestures to bring the Mahabharata’s characters to life.
• Famous artists of Pandvani: Teejan Bai and Ritu Verma are renowned singers of Pandvani. 

Source: TH