Traditions

Namaskar

Namaskar or Namaste, is the most popular form of greeting in India. Both palms are brought together and raised just below the face. It is a salutation of welcoming and bidding farewell. The joined palms symbolize one mind. The right hand represents higher nature, and the left hand represents worldly or lower nature.
Mehndi

An ancient Indian tradition, this body art has become a modern fashion trend in the West. Indian mehndi is intricate lines of reddish-brown lacey or floral patterns. Traditionally, Indian women adorn their hands and feet with beautiful mehndi designs for celebrations of weddings, festivals, and other special occasions. A bride is not expected to perform any housework until her wedding mehndi has faded.

This temporary tattoo is safe, painless, completely natural, and non-toxic. It is created by grounding henna plants and mixing with hot water. This paste is then traced in a design on the desired body part. A solution of lemon juice and sugar is applied to the drying mehndi to "set it".

Originating in ancient Egypt, mehndi has been made popular by many of today's celebrities. Now a craze for men as well as women, mehndi can be seen all over the body in an array of colors.
Tilak

A ritual mark on the forhead, between the brows, symbolizes the quest for the opening of the spiritual eye (third eye). The spot between the brows is considered to be the seat of wisdom and mental concentration. All rites and ceremonies of Hindus begin with a tilak being topped with a few grains of rice.
Bindi

Considered a symbol of the Goddess Parvati, this traditionally red dot between the eyebrows of women, signifies female energy and is believed to offer protection for the woman and her husband. Originally a symbol of marriage, it is now a decorative worn also by unmarried girls and women.