India’s first 24×7 solar-powered village

Context

Recently, The Prime Minister declared Modhera in Gujarat’s Mehsana district as India’s first 24×7 solar-powered village.

Modhera is going to be India’s first village to become a net renewable energy generator.
It will be the first modern village to have a solar-based ultra-modern electric vehicle charging station.
It is India’s first grid-connected megawatt-hours (MWh) scale battery energy storage system.
People in Modhera would be saving 60% to 100 % on electricity bills.
Modhera was well known for the Sun temple, now it will also be known as a solar-powered village.

The heritage lighting and 3-D projection at the Sun Temple would operate on solar energy.
The 3-D projection will inform visitors about the history of Modhera.

India has set a target of having 175 GW of renewable energy capacity, including 100 GW of solar and 60 GW of wind energy, by 2022.

It was made by King Bhima I of the Chalukya dynasty in the early 11th century.
It is made to honour the Sun God in Modhera village of Mehsana district on the bank of River Pushpavati.
The temple is designed in such a way that during every equinox, the first ray of the rising sun would fall on a diamond placed on the head of the Sun God.

The Sabha Mandap stands on 52 pillars, signifying the 52 weeks in a year.
There are carvings of the sun on the walls to show its unity with air, water, earth and space.
In 2014, Modhera Sun Temple entered the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.