Namaste: The Timeless Greeting with A World of Meaning

Hi hello hola aloha Ola Hey Yo Dsao Nee Hau, Konnichi Wa….Namaste

You can greet a person in about 2790 languages. Greetings are the first point of contact and can be a defining moment in a relationship. It can express your attitude and your approach. It can say a lot about your outlook on people. A casual “Hi”, for example, is just that: a way for strangers to greet each other in a non-committal, impersonal way.

Then you can go to another level, another dimension where a greeting is the finest example of centuries of refined culture. The Indian Namaste is ageless and timeless, dating back to millennia. It is a mixture of the word “Namoh” and “aste”, which, in common parlance means I bow to you. What differentiates it is that it is not just a word; it is accompanied with an emotive gesture. Palms joined, a person bows his head and utters “Namaste”, conjuring up a world of extreme respect given not only to strangers but also to everyone you know, even younger people. Give respect in order to gain respect and Namaste does just that for you.

Uttering namaste or Hi or Hello is simple. However, joining the palms of your hand together and bringing up close to your heart even as you bow and utter the word opens up a whole new world of meaning. It shows you care so much that you make an effort. It shows that the feeling comes straight from your heart and extends out through the hands to the tips of the palms and radiates to the recipient. Inclination of the head is a mark of total respect and acknowledgment of the fact that the person so greeted is worthy of it.

Namaste has a unique charm. You give respect and gain it at the same time. For instance, a grandfather can greet his grandson with a namaste and this will, in turn, encourage the young child to respond in the same way, thus learning and continuing a rich legacy.

You say hi or hello when you meet someone, a stranger or a friend. You can do the same with namaste. Hi or Hello is plain vanilla but namaste has echoes of traditions and dimensions of emotions packaged into the simple greeting that welcomes and warms the heart of anyone who receives this greeting. You can just as well say namaste at the time of parting or taking your leave. This signifies that the person or persons you are leaving are just as worthy of respect as they were when you greeted them and that your good wishes are with them. If you are leaving the company of people, then it signifies respect for all those seated and they in turn wish you Godspeed.

Namasteindiatrip.com draws inspiration from the simple namaste and has woven it into the fabric of its being, reflecting age old and honoured traditions of India in the way it greets each guest as royalty at the commencement of each tour and then, at the end, when you take leave, gives you the same respectful send off. You cannot but help feel honoured to have been a part of Namasteindiatrip’s tours.