Namaste, the Indian way of greeting

Today, at Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, our 5 star resort in Alicante, we are pleased to bring up the world famous Namaste, the Indian traditional greeting.

Namaste, is commonly accompanied by a slight bow made with both hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointed upwards, in front of the chest. This gesture, called anjali, can also be performed wordlessly.

Anjali is full of symbolism. Hands symbolize spirit and matter. They connect the left side of the body with the right one. In Hinduism the right palm means the sole of God´s feet and the left palm stands for devotee´s head.

Namaste comes from Sanskrit and is a combination of two words. “Nama” and “te”. “Nama” means ‘bow’ or ‘adoration’ and “te” means ‘to you’. This gesture shows a great sense of respect.

It can be used at any time of the day, either as a greeting or a farewell. It is traditionally Hindu although everybody in India practices it. In some parts of the country it´s not only used for greeting Hindu people and it is accepted by all religions.

Men don´t greet women with physical contact so they show respect with gestures. Women can shake hands with a Western man but never with an Indian man. Women can also shake hands with women from all over the world.

If you would like to experience the Hindu magic firsthand and learn more about this inspiring culture, we are looking forward to see you at our 5 star hotel Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa.