Modi's Big Play for Indias Heartland At The Kumbh Mela

Pilgrims bathe at the ritual bathing site known as the Sangam, which is located at the confluence of three holy rivers the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati during the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India, on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist party catering to Hindus is on full show at the Kumbh Mela, the worlds biggest religious gathering. The Bharatiya Janata Party is betting that religious nationalismincluding allocating almost $600 million to a mass Hindu pilgrimagecan shore up its vote in elections due by May. Photographer: Prashanth Vishwanathan/Bloomberg via Getty Images