Avadhānaṃ is a genre of performance in India, where a performer answers challenging questions from several questioners in parallel. The most popular variety, called sāhitya (literary) avadhānam involves the performer composing poetry, thereby entertaining the audience and demonstrating the poetic skills of the performer. The art form was developed particularly by Telugu poets in medieval times. It involves the partial improvisation of poems using specific themes, metres, forms, or words. There is a tradition of mentoring in Avadhanam. The best avadhanis have contributed to the oeuvres of Telugu and Kannada poetry.
