Satadhar Dham feeds 10K pilgrims daily using biogas kitchen

Gandhinagar | Gujarat —–  Satadhar Dham, a renowned pilgrimage site in Junagadh district associated with Saint Appa Giga, is widely known for its evening aarti. Today, this sacred place has also emerged as a symbol of self-reliance in the field of renewable energy.

At Satadhar Dham, Gujarat’s largest-capacity biogas facility is operational. Currently, four biogas plants with a capacity of 85 cubic meters per day each are functioning, while two more plants of similar capacity are under construction.

The premises house around 1,000 cows and run a large community kitchen (annakshetra) that serves meals to an average of 10,000 pilgrims daily. Notably, the entire kitchen operates exclusively on biogas. About 8,000 kilograms of cow dung are used every day to generate the gas required for cooking.

According to the institution’s management, before the installation of the biogas system, cooking relied on firewood, consuming 800–900 kilograms daily. When LPG cylinders were used, around 10–15 cylinders were required each day.

Mahant Vijay Bapu of Satadhar stated, “We are completely self-reliant in cooking and use only biogas. Additionally, the slurry generated from the biogas plant is used as organic fertilizer in our agricultural activities.”

Driven by the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Gujarat continues to advance towards self-reliance in the use of alternative energy sources while promoting environmental sustainability.

The Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA), under the state government, provides subsidies to institutions for setting up biogas plants under its Institutional Biogas Plant Scheme. Satadhar Dham has also benefited from this support.

Across Gujarat, gaushalas, panjrapoles, educational institutions, and charitable trusts generate significant quantities of organic waste such as cattle dung, agricultural residue, and kitchen waste. Through anaerobic processes, this waste is converted into biogas, which provides an affordable cooking fuel. The byproduct slurry serves as a nutrient-rich organic fertilizer, promoting sustainable agriculture.

Over the past five years, a total of 193 institutional biogas plants have been established across the state, with a combined capacity of 13,955 cubic meters per day.

For the financial year 2025–26, the state government has allocated ₹12 crore under the scheme, with around 60 new plants currently under installation. A total of 15 agencies has been empanelled for implementation. Similar provisions have been planned for 2026–27, aiming to install another 60 biogas plants.

Under the scheme, financial assistance is provided for plants with capacities of 25, 35, 45, 60, and 85 cubic meters. Non-profit institutions can receive up to 75% of the project cost, while profit-making entities are eligible for up to 50% assistance.