10/25/2010 Surat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coordinat es: 21.17°N 72.83°E

Surat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Surat (Gujarati: સ ુરત) is referred as the commercial સુર ત)

Surat (સુ ત (सु
सु र त)
त
capital of the Indian state of Gujarat.[2] It is the
Diamond City / Silk City / Suryapur
administrative capital of Surat district. As of 2010 Surat
is the Fifth most populous city and Seventh largest — Metropolitan City —
metropolitan area of India. Surat with its twin city Navsari
has a population of over 6.3 million. The city is now
classified as an A-1 city , due to its large size &
population. Surat Metropolitan Region is widely regarded
as one of the cleanest Metropolitan Regions in the
country with the city proper being the second cleanest
city in India after Chandigarh.[3][4]

The city is located 306 kms south of state capital

Gandhinagar, and is situated on the left bank of the Tapti
River, 14 miles from its mouth. A moat divides the older
parts of the city, with its narrow streets and handsome સ ુર ત)
Surat (સ ત (सु
सु रत )
houses, and the newer suburbs. The city is largely
recognized for its textile and diamond businesses. It is
also known as the diamond capital of the world and the
Location of Surat (સુરત) (सुर त)
textile capital of India[5]. 92% of the world's diamonds
in Gujarat and India
are cut and polished in Surat.[5] It has one of the highest
GDP growth rates in India at 11.5% as of 2008[5]. Surat Coordinates 21.17°N 72.83°E
was the primary port of India during the Mughal period, a
Country India
distinction it lost to Bombay during the British Raj.[5]
State Gujarat
District(s) Surat
Contents Population 4,786,002[1] (2010)

1 History • Density • 14,658 /km2 (37,964 /sq mi)

• Metro • 6,353,831 (6th) (2008)
1.1 Old English & Dutch Cemetery
2 Geography
Official languages Gujarati, Marathi, Hindi, English
3 Climate
4 Economy Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
4.1 Diamond polishing Area 326.515 km2 (126 sq mi)
4.2 Textiles
• Metro • 4,207 square kilometres (1,624 sq mi)
5 Government and politics • Elevation • 13 metres (43 ft)
6 Transportation • Coastline • 45 kilometres (28 mi)
6.1 Air
6.2 Rail
Codes
6.3 Sea
6.4 Road • Pincode • 395 0xx

7 Infrastructure • Telephone • +91(0261)

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Telephone
8 Demographics
9 Culture and festivals • Vehicle • GJ 05 (Surat), GJ 21 (Navsari)
10 Education
11 Media Website www.Suratmunicipal.gov.in
12 Sports (http://www.Suratmunicipal.gov.in)
13 Satellite towns
14 Places of interest
15 Photo gallery
16 References
17 External links

History
Surat is mentioned in the Sanskrit epic, the Mahābhārata when Lord Krishna stopped there en route from Mathura
to Dwarka. According to other later Sanskrit records, the area was ruled by the Western Chālukyas in 610 CE,
and continued to be ruled by Hindu kings until it was captured by one of the generals of Quṭbuddīn Aibak. The
Parsis started to settle there in the 12th century, and added greatly to its prosperity. In the early centuries during the
reign of Rishika Lekhadia, the port of Surat was used as the gateway to Mecca for pilgrims of the Hajj from India's
interior regions. Both the Makkai Pool and the Mughal Sarai guest house for hajjis (pilgrims) are indicators of this
historical significance.

Local traditions state that the city was founded in the last years of the fifteenth century by a Brahman named Gopi,
who called it Suryapūr (City of the Sun). In 1512 and 1530 Surat was burned and ravaged by the Portuguese
Empire who were trying to maintain influence in the area. In 1513, the Portuguese traveler, Duarte Barbosa,
described Surat as an important seaport, frequented by many ships from Malabar and various parts of the world.
By 1520, the name of the city was Surat.[6]

Surat eclipsed Khambhat as the major port of western India, when Khambhat's harbour began to silt up by the end
of fifteenth century. During the reigns of the Mughal emperor Akbar, Jahāngīr and Shāh Jahān, Surat rose to
become a chief commercial city of India and an imperial mint was established there. As the major port on the west
coast of India, Surat also served as the port for the Hajj to Mecca. At the end of the 16th century, the Portuguese
were undisputed masters of the Surat sea trade. There still is a picturesque fortress on the banks of the river built in
1540.

In 1608, ships from the British East India Company started docking in Surat, using it as a trade and transit point. In
1615, the British Captain Best, followed by Captain Downton, overcame Portuguese naval supremacy and
obtained an imperial firman establishing a British factory at Surat following the Battle of Swally. The city was made
the seat of a presidency under the British East India Company after the success of the embassy of Sir Thomas Roe
to the court of emperor Jehangir. The Dutch also founded a factory.

At its zenith, Surat was popularly viewed as the city of Kubera, the God of Wealth. In 1664 the Maratha King
Shivaji attacked Surat, a key Mughal power centre, and a wealthy port town which generated a million rupees in
taxes. When Shivaji arrived in Surat, he demanded tribute from the Mughal commander of the army stationed for
port security. The tribute was refused and instead of battling the Marathas, the Mughal commander(Stationed at the
Surat fort) sent an emissary to assassinate Shivaji, but in vain. Shivaji conquered the city and forces under his
command exacted their revenge. Shivaji's army sacked Surat for nearly 3 weeks, looting both the Mughal and
Portuguese trading centers.

The prosperity of Surat received a fatal blow when Bombay was ceded to the British as part of the dowry for
Catherine of Braganza's wedding to Charles II in 1662. Shortly afterwards, in 1668, the British East India company

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established a factory in Bombay (Mumbai) and Surat began its relative decline concurrent with the rise of British
interests in Bombay.

Surat was sacked again by Shivaji in 1670. By 1687, the British East India Company had moved the presidency to
Bombay. At its height, Surat's population reached an estimated 800,000, but by the middle of the 19th century the
number had fallen to 80,000. The British took control of Surat again in 1759, and assumed all government powers
of the city in 1800.

The city and the surrounding district remained comparatively tranquil during British rule. Even during the Revolt of
1857 (also known as the first struggle for India's independence), peace was not disturbed, owing to the largely
mercantile interests of the local population.In the 19th century the Bawamia family was the wealthiest and most
powerful family in the city of Surat, they were also heavily involved in the development of the city by focusing on
maximizing exports to increase revenue and hence increase savings which led to investment in the diamond industry.

A fire and a flood in 1837 destroyed many of buildings of Surat. Among the interesting monuments that survive that
destruction are the tombs of English and Dutch merchants and their families, dating to the 17th century, including
those of the Oxenden brothers.

By the early 20th century, the population had slowly climbed to 119,306 and Surat was a center of trade and
manufacturing, although some of its former industries, such as shipbuilding, were extinct. There were cotton mills,
factories for ginning and pressing cotton, rice-cleaning mills and paper mills. Fine cotton goods were woven on
hand-looms, and there were special manufactures of silk brocade and gold embroidery (known as Jari). The chief
trades were organized in guilds. Manufacturing and trading brought an eclectic mix of ethnicity to the city, making
Surat's culture unique.

In 1992, violent riots took place between Hindus and Muslims, the first and worst of their kind in the modern
history of Surat. In 1994, a combination of heavy rains and blocked drains led to flooding of the city. A number of
dead street animals and public waste were not removed in time and a plague epidemic spread through the city,
which caused a number of countries to impose travel and trade sanctions. The municipal commissioner during that
time, S. R. Rao and the people of Surat worked hard in the late 1990s to clean the city.

Old English & Dutch Cemetery

The structure of the Old English and Old Dutch cemeteries in Surat is dominated by the largest monuments of
Europeans in all over India. These graves are also some of the oldest tombs which have survived from the earliest
times of British and Dutch activities at Surat.

The English traders settled in Surat in 1608 followed by the Dutch in 1617. French and also Swedes - even for just
a short period - commenced trading-enterprises here. However, it seems that there are no re-mainders of their
burial culture left today. Along with the Dutch also Armenian traders left a quite big cemetery in Surat. Both nations
share the same burial ground only separated by a wall.

Geography
Surat the second capital of Gujarat is growing much as its neighboring metro Mumbai and by 2020 it is estimated
that Surat will be the largest city in Gujarat state and its urbanization will stretch from Kosamba in north to Billimora
in south. Surat is a port city situated on the banks of the Tapti river (damming of the Tapti caused the original port
facilities to close, the nearest port is now in the Hazira area of Surat Metropolitan Region). The city is located at
21°10′N 72°50′E.[7] It has an average elevation of 13 meters. The Surat district is surrounded by Bharuch,
Narmada (North), Navsari and Dang (South) districts. To the west is the Gulf of Cambay. The climate is tropical
and monsoon rainfall is abundant (about 2,500 mm a year).

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Surat has grown in area since the early 1700s. The oldest part of the city developed in the area between the train
station and the area known as Athwalines. Since the 1970s most of the new development including the most
desirable location for the city's burgeoning middle and upper class is the area between Athwalines and the coast at
Dumas.

Climate
Surat has a Tropical monsoon climate, moderated strongly by the Arabian Sea. The summer begins in early March
and lasts till June. April and May are the hottest months, the average temperature being 30 °C. Monsoon begins in
late June and the city receives about 800 mm of rain by the end of September, with the average temperature being
around 28 °C during those months. October and November see the retreat of the monsoon and a return of high
temperatures till late November. Winter starts in December and ends in late February, with average temperatures of
around 22 °C, and little rain.

Very often heavy monsoon rain brings floods in the Tapi basin area. In last two decades, the city has witnessed
major floods every four years, the worst being the flood of August 2006, perhaps the costliest in the city's history.
In the second week of August 2006, a massive flood caused severe damage to the city of Surat. According to a
report released by Indian Institute of Management - Ahmedabad (IIM-A), massive flood after release of water
from Ukai Dam had caused major human tragedy and property damage estimated at Rs 22,000 cr on that day. In
less than three days, at least 150 people died directly due to flood and many other due to water-borne diseases that
followed. More than 1500 animal carcasses were later hauled out of the mud.[8]

Economy
Surat is known for diamonds, textiles and recently for diamond-
studded gold jewellery manufacturing.

Diamond polishing
Surat Growth Map
Surat is Commercial Capital of Gujarat and also one of the
economic hubs of India. Surat is famous for its diamond industry and
textile industry, along with silk and chemicals. It is at the heart of the
world's diamond-polishing industry, which in 2005 cut 95% of the
world's diamond pieces and earned India $15 billion in exports.
Gujarati diamond cutters emigrating from East Africa established the
industry in 1901 and by the 1970s Surat-based diamond cutters
began exporting stones to the US for the first time. Though much of
the polishing work takes place on small weight stones, Surat's
workshops have set their eyes on the lucrative market for finishing
larger, pricier stones in the future.

The November 18, 2008 issue of the Wall Street Journal had an Diamond Market
article about the diamond industry in Surat. It claims that 80% of the
world's finished diamonds are cut and polished in this city. However
the wages of the industry's workers remained flat for years and 250,000 workers, or one-third of the city's diamond
industry workforce, has left between 2005–2008, leaving about 500,000. Only after a July 2008 strike did the
workers obtain a 20% salary raise, their first in a decade.

Textiles

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Surat is known for producing world-class synthetic textiles.It is known as the MANCHESTER OF EAST.[9].

Surti households have been declared the most prosperous in the

country by the National Council of Applied Economic Research
(NCAER) and Future Capital Research's Roopa Purushothaman in
their latest study. The average annual household income (AHI) in the
diamond city is Rs 4.57 lakh - the highest in the country. The Patel
from the Saurashtra region of Gujarat are the main businessman in
the city and also in the outcountry.[10] The study says that Surat's
AHI is almost equal to China's per capita income of 2007 and
double the national per capita income. Even its GDP growth of 11.5
per cent for the many consecutive years is the fastest in the
country.[11] Recently Surat's diamond and textile industry faced the
Textile Market
recession due to slowdown in US economy but the picture has
changed and today Surat is the only city in world not facing
recession. The textile industry is boosted compared to past times and the diamond industry is also in a better
condition than in previous times. The oldest business of Surat JARI has made Surat the world embroidery capital.
There are approximately 80,000 embroidery units in Surat which makes Surat the embroidery capital too.

Surat also has many large industrial Giants such as KRIBHCO fertilizer plant, Reliance petrochemical plant, Essar's
10 million tonne steel plant, L&T Engineering unit, gas processing plant of ONGC, NTPC gas power plant. All at
Hazira and ABG Shipyard (Shipbuilding Yard) and Ambuja Cement (grinding Unit) at Magdalla port where as
Torrent mega power plant and GIPCL are located at Kamrej.

Government and politics

The Surat Municipal Corporation is responsible for the maintaining city's civic infrastructure as well as carrying out
associated administrative duties. At present, BJP is the ruling party with majority. Surat Municipal Corporation is
one of the wealthiest municipal corporation in India. Surat has the maximum number of flyovers in India.

Transportation
Air

Till May 2006, Surat was the only city in the world with a population
of over 4.6 million people without a functioning airport. The Surat
Airport was closed down due to technical reasons in 2001. The new
airport finally became functional with Surat-Delhi IA flight on 6 May
2007. Currently daily flight is operated to Delhi (Except Saturday).
By June 2012, Surat will get a full fledged International Airport
which is under construction at Magdalla-Dumas near Surat. The
current plan proposed by Air India is to serve the Jeddah flight from
Surat which will decrease pressure on Ahmedabad Airport in the
peak season of Hajj.

Rail Airport

Surat railway station is under the administrative control of the

Western Railway zone of the Indian Railways. It connects Surat with
Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Indore, Jaipur, Jabalpur,

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Satna, Patna, Bhopal and other cities of North India. There is also a
connection to the Central Railway zone through Udhana Railway
Junction and the Tapti line which connects Surat with cities of central
India namely Jalgaon, Amravati and Nagpur. Passenger trains range
from local trains that stop at all stations on the way to express trains
like the August Kranti Rajdhani Express and the Mumbai Rajdhani
Express. In addition, there are freight trains that move the goods Surat Railway Station
produced by the city to the rest of the country and beyond, and
bring supplies into the city. Surat Railway Station which was built by
the British is one of its kind in India, as the railway platform is on the first floor of the railway station and the train
reaches the platform through an inclined ramp.

Sea
Surat has its own port which is used for shipping freight. A plan to connect Surat with Mumbai, Goa, Dubai,
Bhavnagar through ferry services is moving forward. The Surat-Bhavnagar ferry service is much awaited by the
citizens. This would help Surat connect with the Saurashtra region of Gujarat state reducing commuting time by at
least 6 hours.

Road

Due to heavy traffic congestion on major highways passing through

Surat city New expressways are planned and will be completed by
2013. Surat has excellent roads according to Business Today
Magazine[9]. Surat Municipal Corporation tries to improve road
infrastructure of the city. The major highways passing through Surat
are the Udhana-Mumbai Highway also known as Udhana-Navsari
Highway, Surat-Ahmedabad Highway also kown as Varachha Main
Road, Surat-Kolkata Highway also known as Dhulia Highway. Due
to rapid urbanization and to get rid of fatal accidents Surat Municipal
Corporation and Surat Urban Development Authority has planned
Surat Athwalines
to develop an Outer Ring Road and Middle Ring Road which are
under construction to decongest the traffic from the major Highways
passing through city. The city has recently seen the completion of a large number of road projects, particularly
elevated roads, flyovers, in the diamond and textile zones of the city. Surat is also known as city of flyovers having
the highest number of flyover in India. This has significantly cut down the commuting time for many people traveling
to the diamond and textile districts. One of the very few "Multi-Layer Flyovers" in India is now in Surat over
Majura Gate. The Eastern expressway also known as Varachha Flyway is one of India's longest flyover under city
municipal limits in the four lane category.[12][13]

The Golden Quadrilateral highway system passes through Surat. The city is connected to the National Highway 8
through a 16 km connector highway. National highway 6, also known as Surat - Kolkata Highway, starts from
Hazira and passes through surat city and connects the city to Dhule, Amravati, Nagpur, Raipur, Sambalpur,
Kharagpur and Kolkata. The National Highway 228, also known as Dandi Heritage highway, starts from Sabarmati
in Ahmedabad and passes through Anand, Kheda, Ankleshwar and passes through Surat city to Navsari and ends
up in Dandi. National Highway 50 also known as Surat-Pune(Poona) Highway starts near a Junction known as
Kharvarnagar Junction and passes through Sachin, Navsari, Gandevi, Dharampur, Nasik and Pune.

Local transport

On 22nd August 2008, the SMSS bus service was opened by the city Mayor Dr. Kanubhai Mavani. It is

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considered the best city bus services in India. These buses are CNG-fueled and have an LCD screen in the front
giving details about the journey. The conductor uses an electronic machine to print out the tickets. The bus stops are
modern and comfortable. The bus service in general is relatively hi-tech and modern. Bus rapid transit system is
planned for the city and the project is expected to be completed by 2010.

Infrastructure
Surat has a computerized water distribution system and while computerized drainage system is under
implementation. It has one of the best water treatment plants in India. Every part of Surat has drainage and street
lights.[9]

Demographics
The population of Surat according to new city limits is 47,06,429[4]. Males constitute 53% of the population and
females 47%. Surat has an average literacy rate of 83%, higher than the national average of 79.5%: male literacy is
81%, and female literacy is 70%. Gujarati, Sindhi, Hindi, Marathi, Oriya and Urdu are the main languages spoken
in Surat. In Surat, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age. Over 0.6 million people or about 11% hail from
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Surat also has sizeable Parsi and Jewish populations.

Because of unauthorized residential buildings and slums, which cause difficulties in counting the residents of these
areas, combined with the explosive growth in population (mostly through migration), it is generally believed that as
of 2009 about 5.0 million people live within the Surat Municipal Corporation.

Culture and festivals

Surat is known for its Surti cuisine, which includes perennial favorites
such as "Ghari" (a type of sweet), Locho, Undhiyu, Rasaawala
Khaman, and Surti Chinese. Unlike cuisines in other parts of
Gujarat, Surti cuisine is quite spicy. Roadside kiosks, called "laaris"
or "rekdis", are quite popular in Surat. In the cooler winter months,
Surtis converge at river Tapi's banks to eat Ponk, a roasted cereal
that is available only in this part of the world.

All major Indian festivals are celebrated in Surat. Navratri, Diwali

and Ganesh Chaturthi are celebrated with great enthusiasm. The
kite-flying festival of Uttarayan which falls on Makar Sankranti —
14 January — is very popular in the city. It is also well known for Ponk Market
the celebration of Chandi Padvo which usually occurs around
October and is a holiday unique to Surat. This day comes after one of the two biggest full moon days of the Hindu
calendar year, "Sharad Purnima". On this day, Surtis buy almost 100 tons of Ghari and other Surti delicacies.

Education
Schools in Surat are either municipal schools, run by the Surat Municipal Corporation or private schools, which in
some cases receive financial aid from the government. The schools are affiliated to the Gujarat Secondary and
Higher Secondary Education Board (GSEB), the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) and few schools
are affiliated under National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). Gujarati or English are the usual languages of
instruction. The government-run public schools lack many facilities, but are the only option for poorer residents who
cannot afford the more expensive private schools. A majority of residents prefer private schools because of better
infrastructure and the use of English as a medium of instruction.
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Surat has the prestigious, Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology (SVNIT), commonly known to local
people as SVR from its earlier name SVREC (Sardar Vallabhbhai Regional Engineering College). It is one of the
NITs.It is among the top five of all 20 NIT's in India and top most in Gujarat for technical education. With its
festivals through out the year , the college keeps a very vibrant atmosphere inside as well as outside the campus.
The college is favorite destination for morning joggers of the city.[14]. There are few other Engineering Colleges in
Surat are Government Engineering College,Surat (GEC),Sarvajanik College of Engineering and Technology
(SCET), C K Pithawala College of Engineering and Technology(CKPCET) and Bhagwan Mahavir College of
Engineering and Technology.

The city holds the prestige of providing Medical Education to students.It has two medical colleges - "Government
Medical College and New Civil Hospital" and "SMIMER", both giving the degrees of MBBS and MD,MS.The
City also holds one Ayurvedic college namely "Shri O.H.Nazar Ayurvedic College and Hospital",giving BAMS
degree affiliated to Gujarat Ayurved University,jamnagar,Gujarat,India.

Under the 10+2+3 format, students attend primary and secondary schooling during the first ten years and then may
complete two years of higher secondary education, followed by three years at college for commerce, arts or
science degrees.Generally, engineering degree courses take four years, while medicine takes about five and half
years or more. Most colleges in the city are affiliated with the Veer Narmad South Gujarat University.

A Parsi Theatre Academy is being opened in the Muglisara area of Surat, by Yezdi Karanjia, who has a long
experience in staging Parsi plays. It is hoped that it will generate some interest among schoolgoers, and breath new
cultural life into the dwindling community.[15]

Media
Gujarat Mitra, one of the oldest and most respected dailies of the country, is the most popular daily newspaper of
Surat and South Gujarat. Besides Gujarat Mitra, other dailies include Gujarat Samachar, Sandesh,
Divyabhaskar and Commodity World. Local editions of these newspapers are published in Gujarati. Loktej was
the first Hindi daily published in Surat. Rajasthan Patrika and Savera are now the top Hindi daily newspapers in
Surat. The national English dailies such as The Times of India, Indian Express and Mid Day are the most popular
English-language newspapers. DNA-Daily News and Analysis is a new addition to the list of English dailies
available in Surat. Many Marathi newspapers like Loksatta, Lokmat, Sakal are also available in Surat.

Since the city has the largest synthetic textile manufacturing center in India, there is an exclusive textile newspaper
called Textile Graph. It is published in Surat, since 1994, in Gujarati and Hindi versions. The 'Textile Directory of
Surat' (5th. edition) comprising business information of textile traders and industry in and around Surat is also
published by Textile Graph.

Most cable service providers have local television channels. Satellite TV DTH services are provided by DISH TV,
TATA SKY and BIG TV. Broadband internet connections are also available in the city. Broadband service
providers include BSNL, TATA Indicom, Reliance Communication, YOU Broadband and Hathway
Communications. Wi-Fi connectivity is available at many cafes. Currently, Surat has four FM Radio stations -
Radio City 91.1, Radio Mirchi 98.3, My FM 94.3, Big FM 92.7 along with the national radio Vividh Bharati.

Sports
Surat has many sports facilities, the majority of them are dedicated
to cricket. The Lalbhai Contractor Stadium and the Pithawala
Cricket stadiums have facilities for hosting cricket matches. In
addition, Surat has an indoor stadium, used to host events like

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badminton and table tennis, with modern facilities and seating
capacity for 7000. There are a few sports clubs which provide many
types of indoor and outdoor games, including the Surat Tennis Club,
Surat City Gymkhana and Rander Islam Gymkhana (RIG). Recently
one of the biggest swimming pools in the city has been opened near
Palanpur Patiya area. The Rander area also hosts the Royal Cricket Indoor Stadium
Ground.

Satellite towns
Surat is a metropolitan city with an metropolitan region of around 4207 sq km. Thus it has many satellite towns
within 20 to 100 km radius.

These are some of the important Satellite Towns of Surat Metropolitan Region:

1. Bamroli
2. Hazira
3. Sachin
4. Bardoli
5. Billimora
6. Gandevi
7. Kanakpur-Kansad
8. Palsana
9. Kadodara
10. Kosamba

Places of interest
The Chintamani Jain Temple — The exquisite wooden carvings
and paintings are the major attractions of the temple. The temple
actively maintained and visited by the city's Jains is situated in the
Shahpor area and dates back to 15 century and houses some
extremely rare paintings of the Jain monk Acharya Hemachandra,
and of the Solanki King Kumarpal. Any visit to the city would be
incomplete without a visit here especially f or Jains.

Dutch Garden — The ancient Dutch gardens, the Dutch cemetery

and Makaipul, the ancient original port from where the ships sailed
to other parts of the world are other attractions.
Surat Fort
The Surat Fort — The Old Fort was built by Muhammad bin
Tughluq in the 1546 to fortify the defence against the Bhils. It is now used for municipal offices.

Mughal Sarai - This sarai, or guest house, was constructed in mid 17th century under Mughal Emperor Shah
Jahan for pilgrims en route to Mecca, and briefly served as a jail in 1857. The finely crafted archways and dome
now stand over the Surat Municipal Corporation offices.

The Sardar Patel Museum — Established in 1898, and originally called the Winchester Museum;, this museum
has a collection of over 10,000 specimens of arts and crafts.

Gaurav Path — A well planned and well-built 6 lane Expresswayto

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decongest the traffic in Piplod area of the city. Home of multiplexes,
shopping malls, show-rooms, restaurants and much more. This expressway
connects Surat with its airport and Port of Magdalla. SVNIT is also located
on it as well as the beautiful 'Lake View Garden'. Streching this expressway
to Dumas is under consideration.

Choppati — This is also a very popular place in the city. It has a large
garden and provides Indian fastfood like Paav Bhajee and Pani puri.

Saputara is a hill station in the Sahyadri Hills only 170 km from Surat at an
altitude of 1140 meters above sea level. Lying at a higher altitude Saputara
has a cool climate and dense forest. Also known as the Nilgiris of Gujarat.

Wilson Hills, Gujarat is a hill station in the Sahyadri ranges of Valsad

district near dharampur at an altitude of 850 meters (2700 feet) above sea
Clock Tower
level. The nearest hill station of Surat. It enjoys a cool and a serenity climate
throughout the year. The place is also famous for the Asia's most dense
forest. It is only 120 km from Surat.

Vansda National Park — It is situated in the Navsari district and is home to leopards, tigers, panthers,pythons
and wild boars. The best time to visit is between July and January.

Beaches — There are a number of beaches near Surat. Only 16 km away, Dumas is a popular resort with locals.
Suvali is 28 km from the city and Ubhrat is 42 km out, while Tithal is 108 km away and only five km from Valsad
on the Mumbai to Vadodara railway line. Suvali has two wells with water rich in iron and sulphur. Suvali beach is
fringed by feathery casurina trees.

Thirty-nine kilometres south of Surat, Navsari- The Twin city of Surat has been a headquarters for the Parsi
community since the earliest days of their settlement in India. Udvada, only 10 km north of Vapi, the station for
Daman, has the oldest Parsi sacred fire in India. It is said that the fire was brought from Persia to Diu, on the
opposite coast of the Gulf of Cambay, in AD 700. Sanjan, in the extreme south of the state, is the small port where
the Parsis first landed; a pillar marks the spot.

The Dutch Cemetery — Located near Kataragam Gate, this impressive mausoleum is that of Baron Hendrik
Adriaan Van Rheede tot Drakenstein, who died in 1691. A massive Dome, beautiful pillars and the huge gallery
make it a very outstanding monument.[16]

Science City — One of the best Science City in India. Developed by the Surat Municipal Corporation in City
Light Town and is one of the most attractive places in the city.

Photo gallery

Tapi River Kargil Shahid Chowk Dutch Cemetery

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Masjid in Rander (Ek Beautiful Gaurav Path at Mahadev Temple

thamb - This build on one piplod
pillar only)

Chauta Bazar Textile Market Eiffel Tower Replica (now

shifted)

Iscon mall,Surat,India

References
1. ^ "Mid-Year Population Estimates" (http://www.suratmunicipal.gov.in/content/city/stmt13.shtml) . Surat Municipal
Corporation. http://www.suratmunicipal.gov.in/content/city/stmt13.shtml. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
2. ^ Detailed profile of Surat district-Introduction: Surat & Tapi
(http://www.vibrantgujarat.com/documents/profiles/surat-tapi-district-profile.pdf)
3. ^ "Chandigarh cleanest city, Mysore number two" (http://ibnlive.in.com/news/190-cities-lack-liveable-condition-
government/115038-3.html) . CNN-IBN. 2010-05-11. http://ibnlive.in.com/news/190-cities-lack-liveable-condition-
government/115038-3.html. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
4. ^ a b [1] (http://news.oneindia.in/2007/02/08/union-ministry-gives-surat-global-megacity-status-1171025079.html)
5. ^ a b c d Adiga, Aravind (2004-04-12). "Uncommon Brilliance"
(http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,501040419-610100,00.html) . Time Magazine.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,501040419-610100,00.html. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
6. ^ "Name of City" (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/574951/Surat#ref=ref275386) . Encyclopaedia
Britannica Online. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/574951/Surat#ref=ref275386. Retrieved 2007-10-
17.
7. ^ "Location" (http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/9/Surat.htm) . Falling Rain.
http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/9/Surat.htm. Retrieved 2009-11-06.

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10/25/2010 Surat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
8. ^ "IIM-A Report on Flood" (http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/publications/public/FullText.jsp?wp_no=2008-07-06) .
IIM-A. http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/publications/public/FullText.jsp?wp_no=2008-07-06. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
9. ^ a b c "Next Best Cities Of India" (http://businesstoday.intoday.in/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=11651&Itemid=1&issueid=19&sectionid=22&secid=0&limit=1&limitstart=3)
. Business Today. http://businesstoday.intoday.in/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=11651&Itemid=1&issueid=19&sectionid=22&secid=0&limit=1&limitstart=3.
Retrieved 2009-11-06.
10. ^ "Annual Income" (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/3344364.cms) . NCAER.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/3344364.cms. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
11. ^ "GDP" (http://www.financialexpress.com/news/gdp-growth-surat-fastest-mumbai-largest/266636/) . Indicus
Analytics. http://www.financialexpress.com/news/gdp-growth-surat-fastest-mumbai-largest/266636/. Retrieved
2009-04-05.
12. ^ "Varachha flyover may not be the longest" (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/453731.cms) . The
Times of India. 2004-01-30. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/453731.cms. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
13. ^ "CM to inaugurate Varachha flyover" (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/CM-to-inaugurate-
Varachha-flyover/articleshow/450954.cms) . The Times of India. 2004-01-29.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/CM-to-inaugurate-Varachha-flyover/articleshow/450954.cms.
Retrieved 2010-05-07.
14. ^ SWNIT webpage (http://www.svnit.ac.in)
15. ^ "Parsi Theater"
(http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Ahmedabad/Parsi_theatre_academy_in_Surat/articleshow/1593424.cms) .
Times of India.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Ahmedabad/Parsi_theatre_academy_in_Surat/articleshow/1593424.cms.
Retrieved 2007-02-11.
16. ^ "Dutch Governor's Tomb"
(http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/d/019pho000000201u00029000.html) . British Library.
http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/d/019pho000000201u00029000.html. Retrieved 2009-04-
05.

External links
Website of Surat Municipal Corporation (http://www.suratmunicipal.gov.in/content/city/introduction.shtml)
Science Centre, Surat (http://www.suratmunicipal.gov.in/content/sciencecentre/main.shtml)
Public Parks and Garden, Surat (http://www.suratmunicipal.gov.in/content/garden/main.shtml)
Our Surat (http://www.oursurat.com)
Website of Surat Airport (http://www.suratairport.com)
An aquantint panorama of Surat by Alfred Robert Freebairn (1794-1846)
(http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/other/019pzz000001158u00000000.html)
Routine Surat Life On Internet (http://www.mycitysurat.com)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surat"
Categories: Surat | Gulf of Khambhat | Diamond | Metropolitan cities in India | Populated places on the Tapti River |
Former Indian capital cities | Cities and towns in Surat district

This page was last modified on 23 October 2010 at 18:44.

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