A social media post claims that PM Modi did not seek the blessings of Swami Avimukteshwaranand Shankaracharya at Anant Ambani’s wedding because he opposed the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The post includes a video where Modi appears to seek the blessings of Shankaracharya of Dwarka Peeth, Swami Sadananda Saraswati, but not Swami Avimukteshwaranand (here & here). In this article, we fact-check the claim made in the post.

Claim: PM Modi did not seek the blessings of Swami Avimukteshwaranand Shankaracharya at Anant Ambani’s wedding.
Fact: At Anant Ambani’s wedding, Modi sought the blessings of both Shankaracharyas of Jyotirmath and Dwarka Peeth. He first received blessings from Swami Avimukteshwaranand and then from the Dwarka Peeth Shankaracharya. Swami Avimukteshwaranand even offered Modi a holy chain taken from his own neck. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Earlier in January 2024, four Shankaracharyas had boycotted the consecration ceremony of the new Ram Temple in Ayodhya. It is in this context the viral claim is shared, alleging that Modi did not seek the blessings of Swami Avimukteshwaranand, one of the four Shankaracharyas.
However, contrary to the viral claim, PM Modi did touch the feet of Swami Avimukteshwaranand and sought his blessings at Anant Ambani’s wedding. Keyword searches on YouTube led us to multiple reports confirming this (here & here). According to these reports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought the blessings of the Shankaracharyas of Jyotirmath and Dwarka Peeth when he met them at the ‘Shubh Ashirwad’ ceremony for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant in Mumbai on 13 July 2024.

A video report from another angle shows Modi first taking the blessings of Swami Avimukteshwaranand and then of the Dwarka Peeth Shankaracharya. The viral video only shows Modi receiving blessings from the Dwarka Peeth Shankaracharya and walking away, which may have led to the misconception that he ignored Swami Avimukteshwaranand.
However, this is not the case. In fact, Swami Avimukteshwaranand offered Modi a holy chain. Swami Avimukteshwaranand even spoke to the media after meeting Modi, stating that he is not an enemy of the Prime Minister and gives blessings to anyone willing to receive them (here & here).

To sum up, PM Modi sought blessings from Jyotirmath and Dwarka Peeth Shankaracharya at Anant Ambani’s wedding.