Viral video falsely claims Iran President Pezeshkian touched Hindu guru’s feet

New Delhi: A video showing Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian bending down in front of a Hindu spiritual leader during an event on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi has gone viral, with some social media users claiming that he was touching the leader’s feet.

However, media reports, citing sources in the Iranian Embassy, said the video and accompanying images were misleading.

Pezeshkian was in New Delhi for the BRICS Summit 2026. During his visit, he met Jagadguru Swami Satishacharya Maharaj at a special interfaith and cultural dialogue reception hosted at The Oberoi Hotel.

According to the reports, Pezeshkian had dropped a note that had earlier been handed to him by another leader. He reportedly bent down to retrieve it, while the spiritual leader also leaned forward at the same time. The incident was subsequently portrayed online as Pezeshkian touching the Jagadguru’s feet, a customary gesture among Hindus but not among Muslims.

A closer look at the video shows Pezeshkian bending down while holding the spiritual leader’s hand. Several social media users also pointed out that he appeared to be reaching for an object on the floor.

Jagadguru Swami Satishacharya Maharaj is the Peethadhishwar of Premeshwar Dham in Kalyanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. He shared photographs of his meeting with Pezeshkian on his official Instagram account on September 11.

The event at The Oberoi brought together representatives from different religious and social backgrounds and was part of Iran’s cultural and people-to-people engagement during the summit.