Namaste, sometimes called namaskār and namaskāram, is a customary Hindu manner of respectfully greeting and honouring a person or group, used at any time of day. It is used in the Indian subcontinent, and among the Indian and Nepalese diaspora. Namaste is usually spoken with a slight bow and hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointing upwards, thumbs close to the chest. This gesture is called añjali mudrā; the standing posture incorporating it is pranāmāsana.
Pressing hands together with a smile to greet namaste – a common cultural gesture in India
A namaste gesture in the artwork of the 6th to 7th century CE Rajivalochan Vishnu Temple, Rajim, Chhattisgarh
A side view of a Hindu man in namaste pose
Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and his wife Akshata Murty, with Namaste greetings, at Akshardham Temple, Delhi
Greeting is an act of communication in which human beings intentionally make their presence known to each other, to show attention to, and to suggest a type of relationship or social status between individuals or groups of people coming in contact with each other. Greetings are sometimes used just prior to a conversation or to greet in passing, such as on a sidewalk or trail. While greeting customs are highly culture- and situation-specific and may change within a culture depending on social status and relationship, they exist in all known human cultures. Greetings can be expressed both audibly and physically, and often involve a combination of the two. This topic excludes military and ceremonial salutes but includes rituals other than gestures. A greeting, or salutation, can also be expressed in written communications, such as letters and emails.
The civilian Secretary General of NATO Joseph Luns from the Netherlands tips his hat at a troop review in 1983, in lieu of a military salute. This (the full gesture is shown here) was by then becoming old-fashioned as a general social greeting, but had once been normal.
Chinese greeting (Fist-and-palm) practised by Tsai Ing-wen, President of the Republic of China (Taiwan)
Namaste greeting – a common cultural practice in India
Denis Thatcher, husband of former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Margaret Thatcher, greets former American First Lady Nancy Reagan by kissing her hand, 1988.