Gesture No.8 - The Church

Both the hands are held in Chandrakalabheda hasta above the head to denote the 'Church' as in similar way two Ardapataka hastas are held above the head to denote a temple.
Church is the assembly of those who believe in Jesus Christ (Eph 2:20 ff). The inspiration for this particular hasta is derived from the Gothic art where man's constant prayer to God is presented artistically in the church building. The tower of the church has two big wall-like pillars symbolising the two hands of man at prayer, out-stretched heaven wards in need of God, at the top of these pillars there are gaps which symbolises man redeemed on the cross by Jesus.
In the invented hasta the two thumbs symbolise the two towering pillars of the church and the formation of the cross is done by the use of the index of fingers.