Culture Post #4: नमस्ते "Namaste"

[Kaitlin Markoja]

नमस्ते pronounced "namaste" is the traditional Hindi greeting used in Indian culture. It is often said in parting as well.  The most eloquent translation that I can recall is, "The divine in me salutes the divine in you."  There are many similar interpretations of namaste, though I found this one to be the most memorable.  Saying namaste is a sign of respect and appreciation.  When a person says namaste, he also brings his hands together in front of his chest, palms pressed and fingers pointing upwards.  My Hindi teachers in India taught me to always do the hand motion when saying namaste; saying it while moving one's hands about freely is not seen as being as respectful.  Conversely, one can choose to make only the hand gesture without speaking the word namaste.  This is more appropriate in certain social situations.  The hand gesture alone conveys the same meaning and respect as the word and hand motion together.  This salutation is one of the easiest parts of Indian culture to adapt to.