It’s a Sanskrit phrase that means “I bow to you.” You place hands together at the heart, close your eyes and bow. That’s not the namaste I know. My parents taught us to say namaste as kids growing up in India.
What is the response to namaste?
Correct response to Namaste is saying back Namaste to the other person. It’s a Hindi word for saying “ Hello” or greeting some person older than you.
Can you say namaste for goodbye?
Namaste is an expression of appreciation and respect towards another person, entity or deity. It can be used as a hello greeting and even as a goodbye, so you might say Namaste upon meeting someone, or before parting ways.
Why do Indians touch feet?
Touching the feet of elders to seek their blessings is one of the nicer traditions in Hinduism. Some other communities practice it too, though to a lesser extent. Of course, you rarely touch the feet, it’s more the movement of bending-bowing to show your respect. It is more prevalent in northern and central India.