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.

They were welcomed by the ubiquitous presence of Modi on giant billboards flanked by firebrand Hindu monk Yogi Adityanath, 52, the chief minister of India's largest state of Uttar Pradesh -- and viewed by many as the prime minister's potential successor.

Both men say the millennia-old festival which ends Wednesday has been the "grandest" yet, bolstering their portrayal of themselves as stewards of Hindu resurgence and national prosperity.

Above the sea of people at sprawling campsites, loudspeakers trumpet the achievements of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

That is the take-home message for many of the pilgrims, who -- at least according to........

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