As millions of Indians cast their votes in the final phase of the world's largest and longest election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi meditated inside an island shrine.
The 73-year-old spent 45 hours in silence at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial at the southernmost tip of the country, consuming just coconut water, grape juice and other fluids, according to local media.
As voting concluded, so did the PM's meditation.
Mr Modi has every reason to be this calm and centred, with exit polls showing that he will easily win a historic third term.
Before vote counting even began, he already claimed victory on social media.
"I can say with confidence that the people of India have voted in record numbers to re-elect the [National Democratic Alliance] government," he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
It was a glimpse into the confidence and ambition of this PM.
Grand displays of piety have become a hallmark of his campaign. He has twice before marked the end of voting with meditation.
"Some may call me crazy, but I am convinced that [God] sent me for a purpose. Once the purpose is achieved, my work will be done," he said in an interview last month with local news channel NDTV.
"[God] does not reveal his cards. He just keeps making me do things," he said.
This is how India has rallied to get more than 642 million eligible voters to cast their ballots, and what you should expect as the results roll in.
Will Modi get his magic number in parliament?
Mr Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are likely to win a rare third term with a thumping majority, according to exit polls released by Indian media organisations on Saturday night.
Most of the polls project the BJP and their allies, known together as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) could win a two-thirds majority in the 543-member lower house of parliament, where only 272 is needed for a simple majority.
If they reach this threshold, it will allow the government to usher in far-reaching amendments to the constitution.
The polls predict the NDA could win between 353 and 401 seats, hammering the opposition INDIA alliance led by the largest opposition party — Congress — who are projected to win between 125 and 182 seats.
The alliance is a group of more than two dozen political parties that rallied against what they say is Mr Modi's divisive politics and uneven management of India's economic growth.
But it is important to remember that exit polls have a patchy history in India and often get the outcome wrong.
Mallikarjun Kharge, the president of the Congress party, maintained the coalition would secure a majority and form government.
At a press conference, Mr Kharge said the PM had made the campaign all about himself.
"In 15 days, he took Congress's name 232 times, he used 'Modi' 758 times," he said.
"He named the INDIA alliance 573 times … he didn't say anything about unemployment and inflation."
Heatwaves, deepfakes and arrests
The seven-phase vote began on April 19 and concluded on June 1, held in scorching heat with temperatures rising above 50 degrees Celsius in parts of the country including New Delhi.
Dozens of poll workers have died from heat strokes or other health complications related to the sweltering temperatures in recent days.
At least 33 workers died in a single day in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
India's chief election commissioner, Rajeev Kumar, said on June 3 a record-breaking 642 million voters had cast their ballots in the general election — around a 66 per cent voter turnout.
But he conceded that the poll should have concluded in April to avoid intense heatwaves, calling it a "learning experience".
India is used to searing summer temperatures, but years of scientific research have found climate change is worsening heatwaves as they become longer and more frequent.
The election was a Herculean exercise involving 15 million polling officials and security personnel, 1 million polling stations, more than 8,000 candidates and 744 political parties.
Voting machines were transported to the remotest parts of the country by foot, helicopter, boat and camelback to ensure no voter was left behind.
Despite these efforts, there were allegations of voter suppression and threats against opposition candidates in parts of the country, including Uttar Pradesh and Mr Modi's home state of Gujarat.
Opposition leaders accused the BJP government of using state agencies to threaten and arrest rivals and block access to campaign funding.
On June 2, one of the most prominent opposition leaders, Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal, was returned to jail after being briefly let out to campaign in the elections.
He alleges the corruption case against him is politically motivated to undermine his party.
The BJP denies the allegation.
AI-generated deepfakes were also used for the first time during the election, with the Election Commission struggling to track them.
The race to the end
Mr Modi initially focused his campaign on his economic achievements and commitment to Hindu revivalism.
But he soon switched to targeting the main opposition Congress Party, accusing them of favouring India's minority Muslims — which the party denies.
The opposition campaigned on welfare programs for vulnerable communities and saving India's democratic values — which they say have regressed under Mr Modi's rule — an allegation he denies.
For voters, the main issues were unemployment and the rising cost of living.
The task of counting began on June 4 at 12:30pm AEST, with results expected on the same day.
