Notable Artists of Chhattisgarh

Prerequisites

• Folk Songs and Musical Instruments, Folk Dances, Folk Theatre: Nacha and Pandavani and Crafts: this page collects the people from those four pages, so read them first
• Literature and Language: writers and poets are covered there, not here

The Hook: The Padma List Is a Map of the State

Why it matters: “Name – art form – award year” questions are common in the Chhattisgarh part of Prelims P-I, and recent Padma awards are current-affairs favourites. In Mains and the interview, naming the right artist makes an answer on culture concrete.

Pandavani

Nacha and Theatre

Folk Music and Dance

Crafts and Visual Arts

Awards and Timelines

timeline
    title Chhattisgarh artists and their Padma awards
    1988 : Teejan Bai - Padma Shri
    2002 : Habib Tanvir - Padma Bhushan
    2003 : Teejan Bai - Padma Bhushan
    2005 : Punaram Nishad - Padma Shri
    2009 : Govind Ram Nirmalkar - Padma Shri
    2016 : Mamta Chandrakar - Padma Shri
    2019 : Teejan Bai - Padma Vibhushan
    2021 : Radheshyam Barle - Padma Shri
    2023 : Usha Barle - Padma Shri : Ajay Kumar Mandavi - Padma Shri
    2025 : Pandi Ram Mandavi - Padma Shri

State Institutions and Honours

Analysis: What These Lives Teach (Mains GS-IV and Interview)

1. Social mobility through art. Teejan Bai came from a poor Pardhi family and had little schooling; art made her a national figure. Folk forms can open doors that formal systems close.
2. Gender barriers. She performed Kapalik Pandavani, then a male domain, and faced social criticism for it. Usha Barle and Ritu Verma followed her into the form.
3. Community reform. Devdas Banjare and Radheshyam Barle carried the Satnami ethic of equality to wider audiences through Panthi.
4. Folk and modern together. Habib Tanvir showed that village actors and folk forms could create modern, world-class theatre.
5. Recognition reaches the margins. Padma awards to Bastar craftsmen (2023, 2025) show growing recognition of tribal artists from conflict-affected districts.
6. The gap: for every awardee, hundreds of performers and artisans live with irregular income, no pension and no documentation of their repertoire.

Memory Tricks

Don’t Confuse

Common Mistakes

Practice

These are original practice questions written in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.

Level 1: Foundation

1. Teejan Bai received the Padma Vibhushan in ________.
2. Dr. Radheshyam Barle received the Padma Shri (2021) for ________ dance.
3. The Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya is located at ________.

Level 2: Prelims MCQs

Q1. Match List-I (Artist) with List-II (Art form):

(a) A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3 (b) A-1, B-2, C-4, D-3 (c) A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4 (d) A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2

Q2. Consider the following statements:

1. Teejan Bai received the Padma Bhushan in 2003.
2. Punaram Nishad received the Padma Shri for Panthi dance.
3. Ajay Kumar Mandavi of Kanker received the Padma Shri for wood carving.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 3 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

Q3. Arrange the following in chronological order of the award:

1. Mamta Chandrakar’s Padma Shri
2. Habib Tanvir’s Padma Bhushan
3. Pandi Ram Mandavi’s Padma Shri
4. Teejan Bai’s Padma Vibhushan

(a) 2-1-4-3 (b) 1-2-4-3 (c) 2-4-1-3 (d) 2-1-3-4

Q4. Who among the following is called the “father of Nacha”?

(a) Dau Ramchandra Deshmukh (b) Habib Tanvir (c) Dau Dulal Singh Mandraji (d) Mahasingh Chandrakar

Level 3: Mains Answer Writing

Q1. Write a short note on Teejan Bai’s contribution to Indian folk culture. (100 words)

Q2. “State recognition of folk artists is necessary but not sufficient to keep folk traditions alive.” Discuss with examples from Chhattisgarh. (200 words)

Quick Revision Table

Key Takeaways

What’s Next

• Folk Arts: Quick Revision: the whole chapter on one page
• Literature and Language: poets and writers of Chhattisgarh
• Tourism and Heritage: festivals and venues where these artists perform
• Social Aspects of Chhattisgarh: culture in the Mains GS-IV frame