After arriving in the central Indian city of Prayagraj in late January, almost everyone I spoke to asked whether I had joined the millions of pilgrims submerging themselves each day to ritually cleanse away their sins at the point where the Ganges and Yamuna rivers are said to mix with those of the mystical Saraswati .

Official figures suggest that over 400 million people have visited the Maha Kumbh Mela taking place in India. The Hindu event is the world’s largest religious festival.