Vanakkam

The folded hands gesture is very typical of Indian culture, especially South Indian. It is a welcome sign and is used when receiving people or as a salutation in place of the hand shake which is the equivalent in western culture to the folded hands.
By showing both hands to the person whom you are receiving, you are supposed to be showing them that you are holding nothing back from them and is frank and open to them. It is also a mark of respect to the other person.

Chandrakanth Ramesh

Last modified: Wed Sep 2 14:59:13 CDT 1998