The quest of millions seeking salvation at the world's largest religious festival has also been a golden opportunity for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to burnish Hindu nationalist credentials.
Undeterred by packed trains, sold-out hotels, stomach-churning faecal matter measurements in rivers used for ritual bathing, and two deadly stampedes that killed dozens, the Hindu faithful descended on the city of Prayagraj for the six-week-long Kumbh Mela.
