This gesture is called añjali mudrā; the standing posture incorporating it is pranamasana..
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In many Eastern religions bowing is used as a sign of respect in worship and has its origins in the Indic Añjali Mudrā.
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It is cognate to the Cambodian sampeah and Thai wai. All of these greetings are based on the Indian Añjali Mudrā used in namasté.
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Statue with hands in the most common Anjali Mudra position A Japanese statue of Bodhisattva Seishi, doing Añjali Mudrā Añjali Mudrā (), the salutation seal, is a hand gesture associated with Indian religions, practiced throughout Southeast Asia. It is used as a sign of respect and a greeting in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia, also used among East Asian Buddhists, Taoists and Shintoists and amongst yoga practitioners and adherents of similar traditions. The gesture is incorporated into many yoga asanas, and is used for worship in many Eastern religions. The modern yoga pose praṇāmāsana () consists of standing with the hands in añjali mudrā.
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Indian religions, which includes Hinduism and its offshoots Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, etc. are also called Dharma religions, all of which are based on the concept of dharma and karma and typical blessings are based on Adhiṣṭhāna, Añjali Mudrā, Darśana and Mudra, etc.
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It is then named as Añjali Mudrā, and endemic to the dharmic culture of Hindu-Buddhist civilization in Indian subcontinent. By early first century, Hindu-Buddhist civilization began to exercises their influences in Indonesia, and by the 4th century early Hindu polities has established their rule in Java, Sumatra and Borneo; such as the kingdom of Tarumanagara and Kutai. By the 6th to 9th century, Hindu-Buddhist civilization stood firmly in Java, Bali and Sumatra, as the kingdom of Srivijaya and Medang Mataram rose. The images of sembah or añjali mudrā appear in bas-reliefs of Javanese candis, such as the 9th-century Borobudur and Prambanan temples.
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Balinese traditionally greets in Añjali Mudrā, a Hindu heritage in Indonesian culture. Greetings in local Indonesian includes selamat pagi (good morning), selamat siang (good afternoon), or selamat malam (good evening), and apa kabar? (how are you?). Saying terima kasih (thank you) after receiving services or favours demonstrate good manner.
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Huxley, Aldous Island First > published by Chatto and Windus 1962. This mythological dwarf is generally depicted with his hand in Añjali Mudrā. He is often depicted in this posture in depictions of Naṭarāja. In some other interpretation it is regarded as the dwarf vamana(vishnu's avatar) depicting a wider sectarian antagonism.
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In certain cultures with significant Hindu-Buddhist heritage such as Bali, Java and Lombok — it is common to perform sembah; to greet by clasped two hands together in front of the chest while slightly bowing. Traced to Dharmic Añjali Mudrā, it is the same as Indian namaste, Thai wai and Cambodian sampeah gesture, and preferred especially among Javanese and Balinese people.
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When praying to the Buddha (who founded Buddhism in India), the person places their palms together close to their face and brings their hands toward the ground three times. Just like Indian Añjali Mudrā namasté, it is also important when one Sampeahs to elders. The higher the hands and the lower the bow, the more respect is shown. It is a sign of respect and politeness.
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Sampeah (Cambodian greeting) The Sampeah () is a Cambodian greeting or a way of showing respect. It is very similar to the Thai wai. Both Sampeah and Thai wai are based on the Indian Añjali Mudrā used in namasté. Pranāma or Namaste, the part of ancient Indian culture has propagated to southeast Asia, which was part of indosphere of greater India, through the spread of Hinduism and Buddhism from India.
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Mālāsana yoga poseMālāsana (literally sitting down pose), also known as the yoga squat, is an asana. The asana is a squat with heels flat on the floor and hip-width apart (or slightly wider if necessary), toes pointing out on a diagonal. The torso is brought forward between the thighs, elbows are braced against the inside of the knees, and the hands press together in front of the chest in Añjali Mudrā.
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Thepphanom or thephanom (, ) is a Thai term referring to the depiction in paintings or traditional Thai patterns of a devata performing the Añjali Mudrā hand gesture. The term is also the name of moves in muay Thai and traditional Thai dance. Thephanom also refers to an angel or deity who is a temple protector and guardian. They are often represented as a pair, a brother and a sister, kneeling on both knees with hands at the wai position, praying or offering respect.
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The typical Lao greeting is the nop which is similar to the wai in Thailand or the satu in Cambodia, and is based on the Indic Añjali Mudrā. In a nop the hands are clasped together upright in a prayerful position, with fingertips below the nose and a slight downward gaze. The nop is often accompanied with the greeting "Sabaidee" or “good health (to you)” and is considered the polite address for members of higher social status. Special social attention is paid to monks and religious items.
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When performing Pashcima Namaskara Vinyasa (Reverse Prayer Vinyasa) or Pṛṣṭa Añjali (Back Salute) the arms are raised on an inhale, as in Parshvabhaga Vinyasa,. On the exhale, they are brought, palms together to the bottom of the spine and slid upwards. All other aspects of the hand and arm position correspond with Pashcima Namaskarasana (Reverse Prayer Pose). A back- bend can be added on the inhale in a similar fashion as with Hands at Elbows Behind the Body (on the inhale, repeated three to six times).
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Used in greetings, leave-taking, as an acknowledgement, or accompanying an apology, it comes in many forms, reflecting the relative status of those involved. Generally the salutation involves a prayer-like gesture with the hands, derived from the Añjali Mudrā of the Indian subcontinent, and it also may include a slight bow of the head. This salutation is often accompanied by a serene smile symbolizing a welcoming disposition and a pleasant attitude. Thailand is often referred to as the "land of smiles" in tourist brochures.
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Upavesasana The name malasana is sometimes used in the West for the "regular squat pose," Upaveśāsana, in which the palms of the hands are folded together in Añjali Mudrā (prayer posture) in front of the chest, and the feet are set apart. Yoga Journal states that Malasana stretches the ankles, groins and back, and tones the belly, but cautions about using the asana when there are lower back or knee injuries. A variant of this pose, Prapadasana, has the heels together and the feet on tiptoe.
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The wai of a Thai bride Steven Gerrard performing a Wai The wai has been adopted by western cultural symbols in Thailand, including Ronald McDonald. The Thai greeting referred to as the wai (, ) consists of a slight bow, with the palms pressed together in a prayer-like fashion. It has its origin in the Indian Añjali Mudrā, like the Indian namaste and Burmese mingalaba. The higher the hands are held in relation to the face and the lower the bow, the more respect or reverence the giver of the wai is showing.
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Candles and lights may also be offered, symbolizing the dispelling of the darkness of ignorance. In Mahāyāna Buddhism, a set of seven offerings is often given, in which the first two offerings represent hospitality, and the other five the senses. Such an offering indicates respect through one's entire being, as represented by the five senses. When an offering is given in a temple, the devotees will normally take off their shoes, wash the object to be offered, approach the image or stūpa holding their hands in añjali and perform the actual offering, after which they prostrate.
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Chandeshvara Nayanar Chandeshvara Chandesha or Canda or Chandeshwara is one of the 63 Nayanmars. Processional bronze images of him generally show him as a boy, with entwined locks of hair, standing with his hands in Añjali Mudrā and with an axe in the crook of his arm. In the Shaiva temples of South India, his shrine is positioned within the first enclosure wall of the temple complex and to the North East of the lingam. He is there typically shown seated, with one leg dangling downwards, a hand on one thigh and an axe clasped in the other.
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Martin Haspelmath, The World Atlas of Language Structures , page 569, Oxford University Press, 2005, The Ramayana and the Mahabharata have had a large impact on South Asia and Southeast Asia. One of the most tangible evidence of dharmic Hindu traditions is the widespread use of the Añjali Mudrā gesture of greeting and respect. It is seen in the Indian namasté and similar gestures known throughout Southeast Asia; its cognates include the Cambodian sampeah, the Indonesian sembah, the Japanese gassho and Thai wai. Beyond the Himalaya and Hindukush mountains in the north, along the Silk Route Indian influence was linked with Buddhism.
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Steven Gerrard performing a wai Similarly to East Asia, bowing is the traditional form of greeting in many South Asian and Southeast Asian countries. A gesture known as the Añjali Mudrā is used as a sign of respect and greeting and involves a bow of varying degrees depending on whom one performs it to and hands pressed together generally at chest level. Practised throughout South Asia and Southeast Asia, the gesture is most commonly used in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Indonesia. Gestures across the region are known by different names such as the wai in Thailand, sampeah in Cambodia and Laos, sembah in Indonesia, namaste in India and Nepal, and in Sri Lanka the gesture is used as a greeting with the word "Ayubowan".
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