Somnath: The Government Circuit House located behind the Somnath Mahadev Temple along the Arabian Sea coast will now be managed by a private operator, following a state government decision to adopt a lease model due to recurring financial losses.

The decision to hand over operations to a private company was taken after the government found it financially unviable to run the guest house. The move also aims to provide hotel-like, high-end facilities to devotees, especially as several mid-range accommodations and dharamshalas are already available in ample numbers in the Somnath temple area.

It is learnt that the government was incurring a monthly expenditure of ₹14–15 lakh on the circuit house, while generating revenue of only ₹2–2.5 lakh. To bridge this deficit, the property has been leased to Ahmedabad-based McWAY Managements Limited at an annual rent of around ₹81 lakh following a tender process. The company has taken over operations from March 16, 2026.

In a similar move, the government has initiated the tendering process to hand over the management of circuit houses in Ambaji and Dwarka to private players, with the objective of upgrading facilities for pilgrims.

The circuit house, constructed in 2022 at a cost of ₹30.55 crore, is spread over 15,000 square metres and comprises four storeys. It includes two VVIP suites, seven VVIP rooms, eight VIP rooms, and 24 deluxe rooms. The premises also feature a 200-seat auditorium, a conference room, and modern kitchen facilities.

As per the agreement, around eight rooms will continue to be allotted at government-prescribed rates, for which a standard operating procedure (SOP) is currently being finalised.

Under private management, the revised room tariffs have been fixed as follows: VVIP rooms at ₹7,100, VIP rooms at ₹6,200, and deluxe rooms at ₹4,200. Earlier, when the facility was operated by the government, room tariffs were approximately ₹2,800. DeshGujarat