Añjali Mudrā (Sanskrit: अञ्जलि मुद्रा), is a hand gesture mainly associated with Indian religions and arts, encountered throughout Asia and beyond. It is a part of Indian classical dance postures such as Bharatanatyam, yoga practice, and forms part of the greeting Namaste. Among the performance arts, Anjali Mudra is a form of non-verbal, visual communication to the audience. It is one of 24 samyukta mudras of the Indian classical arts. There are several forms of the Anjali Mudra such as the brahmanjali.
The gesture is incorporated into many yoga asanas. The modern yoga pose praṇāmāsana (Sanskrit: प्रणामासन) involves standing upright, with the hands in Añjali Mudrā.
As a gesture, it is widely used as a sign of respect or a silent greeting in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia. It is also used among East Asian Buddhists, Chinese religionists, and Shintoists and adherents of similar Asian traditions. The gesture is used as a part of prayer or for worship in many Indian religions and other Eastern religions.
In sculpture, the Anjali mudra is common at entrances and in relief works of historic temples such as the Lingobhavamurti of Shaivism. The Anjali mudra differs from Namaste by being a non-verbal gesture, while Namaste can be said with or without any gesture. According to Bhaumik and Govil, the Anjali mudra and Namaskara mudra are very similar but have subtle differences. The back of the thumbs in Anjali mudra face the chest and are perpendicular to other fingers, while the thumbs in Namaskara mudra are aligned with the other fingers.
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