Woman in Dharnai Village in India

Local people from Dharnai village in Bihar, India, participate in Chhath Puja. Chhath Puja is an important traditional annual Hindu festival, performed in order to thank Surya, the chief solar deity in Hinduism, for sustaining life on earth and to request the granting of certain wishes.
The people of Dharnai village used to have a facility supplied by the state Government which provided electricity. This infrastructure hasn't been available for the last 33 years and diesel generators have been the only source of electricity. Development of a solar-powered micro-grid to electrify the entire village brings new hope for its inhabitants.