History

In the early centuries during the reign of the Mughal emperor Jehangir, the port of Surat
was used as the gateway to Makkah (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.

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 one of Quṭbuddīn Aibak's generals captured it. The Parsis started to settle
there in the 12th century, and added greatly to its prosperity. 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, or 'City of the Sun'. In 1512 and 1530 Surat was burned and
ravaged by the Portuguese 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.[2]

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 emperors
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 1613, 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.

Surat Panoromic View

At its zenith, Surat was popularly viewed as the city of Kubera, the God of Wealth. In
1664 the Maratha King Shivaji sacked and looted the city(see- Battle of Surat). 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(hiding himself in 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. Hoewever, no men or women were molested or taken as
slaves as was the Maratha practise. The poor were spared.

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 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 1689, 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 up, after which it was recognized in many circles as the 'second-cleanest city in
India'. (See 1994 plague epidemic in Surat.)

Geography

Traffic Circle Near Ichchhanath: Kargil Shahid Chok

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).
The city is located at 21°10′N 72°50′E / 21.17°N 72.83°E.[3] 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).

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.[4]

Economy

Diamond Market

Diamond Polishing

Surat is economic capital of Gujarat and also one of the economic hub of India.Surat is
famous for its diamond industry and textile industry, along with silk and chemicals. It is
at the heart of India's thriving diamond-polishing industry, which in 2005 cut 92% 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. It is a major
production centre for synthetic textiles in India.

Textiles

Surat is known for producing world-class synthetic textiles. Surat has excellent roads
according to Business Today Magazine[5]. The November 18, 2008 issue of the Wall
Street Journal had an 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.
Textile Market

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 bussinessman in the city and also in the outcountry.[6] 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.[7] Recently Surat's diamond and textile
industry faced the 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 units such as Reliance petrochemical plant, Essar's
10 million tonne steel plant, KRIBHCO fertilizer 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

Surat Municipal Corporation

The Surat Mahanagar Sewa Sadan, is responsible for the city's civic infrastructure as well
as carrying out associated administrative duties. BJP is at present having majority and is
the ruling party. Surat Mahanagar Sewa Sadan is one of the wealthiest municipal
corporation in India which really works hard for Surat and providing necessary amenities.
The Surat city also has maximum numbers of FLY-OVERS in India which also makes it
as fly-over capital of India.

Transportation
The developing Mega city Surat's infrastructure is improving rapidly. Surat has excellent
roads according to Business Today Magazine[8]. SMC tries to improve road infrastructure
like Gandhinagar. Recently four Ring-Roads were introduced by CEPT from Ahmedabad
IIM which are; 1.Old Ring Road, 2.Inner Ring Road, 3.Middle Ring Road, 4.Outer Ring
Road which will definitely improve the traffic problems of Surat. The Outer Ring Road
which starts near Palsana forms ring and leaving routes to the city of Surat from various
points and connects Surat smoothly with its Suburbs. The city has recently seen the
completion of a large number of road projects, particularly elevated roads, or flyovers, in
the diamond and textile zones of the city. 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 Varachcha
flyover of Surat is India's longest flyover under city municipal limits in the four lane
category.

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, Nagpur, Raipur, Sambalpur, Kharagpur and Kolkata.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.

Railway Station
Surat is connected to the national railway system through the Western Railways. It is
connected to Mumbai and beyond to south India. There are also links to New Delhi,
Ahmedabad, Vadodara and other cities to the north. The Surat Railway Station is in the
eastern-central part of the city near major hotels and business houses. There is also a
connection to the Central Railways through Udhana Railway Junction and the Tapti line
which connects Surat with central India and cities like Jalgaon,Amravati. There are
numerous daily trains that travel to the north, south and east throughout the day.
Passenger trains range from local trains that stop at all stations on the way to express
trains like the August Kranti Rajdhani Express. In addition, there are goods trains that
move the goods produced by the city to the rest of the country and beyond, and bring
supplies into the city.

Airport

Till May 2006 Surat was the only city in the world with a population of over 4.9 million
people without a functioning airport. Construction of Surat Airport was suspended due to
technical reasons in 2004. The new airport finally became functional with Surat-Delhi IA
flight on 6 May 2007. Currently daily flights are also operated to Ahmedabad and Jaipur.
By June 2012,Surat will get a Fully 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
Peak season of Hajj. This would be first International flight service from Surat Airport
which will be available from 2010.

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

Surat has successfully started BRTS project and is expected to get BRTS, Bus Rapid
Transit System, by 2010. Surat is expected to get a Metro by 2015 in its 1ST phase Surat
will be connected by Navsari which is 40 km. In the 2nd phase Udhana and Hazira will
be connected which is 35 km. The project is under construction as TWIN CITY project.
It has been passed and signed by the State Government of Gujarat. 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 sea highway is under consideration of State Government of Gujarat

and will be starting from Hansot in Bharuch and end up in Bhavnagar city. Once the
highway is completed Surat will be directly connected by Saurastra region of Gujarat.
The sea highway will be the longest sea highway in World which is estimated to be
70 km long. The Surat-Bhavnagar ferry service is a much awaited service by the citizens.
This would help Surat connect with the Saurashtra region of Gujarat state reducing
commuting time by at least 6 hours.

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 53,74,429.[10] Males constitute
56% of the population and females 44%. Surat has an average literacy rate of 83%,
higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 81%, and female literacy is
70%. In Surat, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age. Around 5% of the total
population is oriya,over 0.6 million people or about 11% hail from Uttar Pradesh and
Bihar. Surat also has sizeable Parsee, Jews and Bohra Muslims.

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 5.4 million
people live within the Surat City Corporation.

Culture and Festivals

Ponk Market
Surat is known for its Surti cuisine, which includes perennial favorites such as Ghari (a
type of mithai), Locho, Undhiyu, Rasaawala Khaman, and Surti Chinese. Surti cuisine is
not as sweet as other Gujarati food, and is quite spicy. Roadside kiosks, called "laaris" or
"rekdis", are popular. In the cooler winter months, Suratis 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 Utraan which falls on
Makar Sankranti — 14 January — is very popular in the city. It is also well known for
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, then head to the city's seaside beach area, Dumas where they have
dinner and a late night snack under the full moonlit sky.

Education
Schools in Surat are either "municipal schools" (run by the SMC) or private schools (run
by trusts or individuals), which in some cases receive financial aid from the government.
The schools are affiliated either with the Gujarat State Board or 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.

The city holds the prestige of providing Medical Education to students.It has two medical
colleges namely "Govt. Medical College and New civil hospital" and "SMIMER", both
giving the degrees of MBBS and MD,MS.

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. Sardar Vallabhbhai
National Institute of Technology, one of the NITs, is a premier engineering college, is
also located here.It is among the top five of all 20 NIT's in India and top most in Gujarat
for technical education.[11] 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.[12]
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.

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 VSNL(ANAR 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

Indoor Stadium

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
badminton and table tennis, with modern facilities and seating capacity for 7000. In
August 2006, the 3rd Asian gymnastics championship was held in Surat. 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 Ground.

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
for 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 Old 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.

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

Rangupavan — It is an open air theater with a 18 meters by 10.5 meters stage and a
capacity of around 4000 spectators. This is one of the biggest theaters in the country.
Rangupavan was recently closed.

Gaurav Path — A well planned and well-built major road in New Surat 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 sea port. SVNIT is also
located on it as well as the beautiful 'Lake View Garden'. A plan to stretch this
expressway to Dumas.

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.

Udhana - An large Industrial town only 7kms south of Surat hosts more than 3000
industrial units and corporates. Also known as industrial hub of Surat. Also Gateway of
South Surat.

Saputara is a hill station in the Sahyadri Hills only 150 km from Surat at an altitude of
1500 metres above sea level.The nearest Hill-Station of Surat. Lying at a higher altitude
Saputara has a cool climate and dense forest. Also known as the Nilgiris of Gujarat.

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.[13]

Science City — It is being developed by the Surat Municipal Corporation in City Light
area and will be one of the most attractive places in the city in the near future.

Photo Gallery

Beautiful Gaurav
Tapi River Dutch Cemetery Masjid in Rander (Ek thamb - Path at piplod
This build on one pillar only)

Textile Market
Textile Market Flyover
Mahadev Temple Chauta Bazar

The effiel tower replica shown

in the photo gallary has been
removed temprorily because of
flyover being under
construction which was seen
Athwalines Eiffel Tower earlier at parle point.
flyover Replica