The Kumbh Mela - a sacred Hindu festival - has begun in the city of Prayagraj in India's politically most significant state Uttar Pradesh.
Nearly 150 million pilgrims are expected to visit Prayagraj over the next eight weeks for what is considered the world's largest religious festival.
The government has seized on the event as an opportunity to impress its largely Hindu population ahead of the general election this year.
Al Jazeera's Charlotte Bellis reports.Source: aljazeera.com