The divine, the digital and the political to the greatest gathering of humanity

Above the millions of Hindu pilgrims walking on the field of the Maha Kumbh Mela, Prime Minister Narendra Modi from India shines giant billboards and eye posters. Elsewhere, there are life -size cutouts of the leader, bright at night, hands folded in salvation.

The Maha Kumbh, a spiritual festival widely considered as the greatest gathering of humanity, takes place this year in the city of Prayagraj, where the Rivers of Ganges and Yamuna meet. The Hindus believe that a third legendary river called Le Saraswati joins them there. Crowds of faithful plunge in holy waters into the belief that it will serve them with sins and grant them salvation.

It is a fascinating show. There are monks set to ash, naked ascetics, priests with vermilion paste on the forehead, ordinary pilgrims, tourists with selfie sticks, impressed foreigners, artists, small sellers and large Advertisers. It is also an exploit of urban planning, a night megalopolis built on a land borrowed from the Ganges in decline in the state of the Uttar Pradesh, with tents, toilets, roads, lampposts and even automatic distributors automated tickets.

For Mr. Modi and his close ally Yogi Adityanath, the Hindu hard monk who is the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, the Maha Kumbh offers a marketing opportunity like no other. It is a platform to show the achievements of India – and therefore theirs – in front of a delighted citizenship and a watching world.

The political sensitivity of the event was apparent last week when 30 pilgrims died and 90 were injured in a stampede, according to official counts. Mr. Adityanath seemed to be trying to minimize the episode because it took almost 3 p.m. to recognize that people died and to give a number of deaths.