One of the most primary gestures of the Indian culture is saying Namaste, also referred to as, namaskar. To say Namaste: place your hands together, raise them up to your chest and bow your head. Namaste is a gesture used to greet everyone, the people you know and the people you don’t know. This gesture is also used while praying in Hinduism. The Hindu religion is closely related to the Indian culture. Saying Namaste requires no physical contact with others. Namaste is used both to greet someone and to say goodbye; it means “hello” and “good day”.
Another very important Indian gesture is touching elders’ feet. Like Namaste, this idea is derived from Hinduism as well. Gods and Goddess are thought to reside in elders and, therefore, touching elders’ feet is like touch Gods’ and Goddess’ feet. In the act of doing so, one is paying respect to an elder and asking for their blessings. Whose feet do you really touch? Usually people touch the feet of saints and elders: grandparents, parents, uncles, and aunts. Sometimes people also touch their older siblings’ feet. The idea of touching elders’ feet, especially your older siblings, proves how vital respect is to the Indian culture. When do you touch elders’ feet? People touch elders’ feet on special occasions such as, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, long-term leave from home, the Indian New Year etc.
Indian culture is a result of the combination of the Hindi language and Hinduism. Indian culture, as a whole, is more collective and much more polychornic. Family is plays a pivotal role in an individual’s life. There is always time for family, one can never be “too busy” to spend time with his/her family. Family and family’s honor comes before all. This notion largely affects the linguistic aspects of the Hindi.
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