Attentive Minds: A History of the Indian Performative Art of Avadhāna from the Origin to Modern Times

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Attentive Minds: A History of the Indian Performative Art of Avadhāna from the Origin to Modern Times is written by Hermina Cielas and published by BRILL. It's available with International Standard Book Number or ISBN identification 9004687629 (ISBN 10) and 9789004687622 (ISBN 13).

From tenth-century South India to twenty-first-century cultural events, from the court assemblies to the public space: Attentive Minds takes you on a journey through the fascinating world of avadhāna, a complex and long-living performative art of India whose practitioners showcase highly developed cognitive skills (like attention, ability to multitask, memory) and specialized knowledge. With the help of epigraphic and literary sources and field research, Hermina Cielas reconstructs avadhāna’s history in its socio-cultural context and provides a detailed systematization of the art. Her multifaceted study investigates the cultural phenomenon scarcely known outside of India. It explores avadhāna’s multiple forms, from games and puzzles, through a display of mnemonic or motor skills, to multilingual literary feasts.