("reverential
greeting") Both a statement and a gesture used to politely welcome another
person.
The gesture is performed by combining both palms, pointing
the fingers up, and touching the chest with the base of the thumbs.
The fourteenth of sixteen customary upacharas
("offerings") made to a god as part of devotion, Namaskara treats the
deity as an honored guest.
The god receives a gesture of reverence with this action,
which may take a variety of forms, including uniting the palms with the fingers
facing upward (anjali hasta), kneeling and putting one's head to the floor, or
complete prostration (dandavat pranam).
The overarching goal of all upacharas is to demonstrate one's
reverence and devotion for the god by attending to the deity's demands.
