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Surat ( Gujarati: ) is a
city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
in the western
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
n
state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...
of
Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...
. The word Surat directly translates to ''face'' in
Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
, Gujarati and
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
. Located on the banks of the river Tapti near its confluence with the Arabian Sea, it used to be a large
seaport A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manc ...
. It is now the commercial and economic centre of
South Gujarat South Gujarat, also known as ''Dakshin Gujarat'', is a region in the Indian state of Gujarat. The region has a wetter climate than other regions of Gujarat. The western part is almost coastal and is known as ''Kantha Vistar'' ("coastal expanse" ...
, and one of the largest
urban area An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...
s of western India. It has well-established diamond and textile industry, and is a major supply centre for apparels and accessories. About 90% of the world's diamonds are cut and polished in Surat. It is the second largest city in Gujarat after Ahmedabad and the eighth largest city by population and ninth largest urban agglomeration in India. It is the administrative capital of the Surat district. The city is located south of the state capital,
Gandhinagar Gandhinagar () is the capital of the state of Gujarat in India. Gandhinagar is located approximately 23 km north of Ahmedabad, on the west central point of the industrial corridor between the megacities of Delhi and Mumbai. Gandhinagar ...
; south of
Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ), also spelled Amdavad (), is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 ...
; and north of
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
. The city centre is located on the Tapti River (popularly known as Tapi), close to the
Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea () is a region of sea in the northern Indian Ocean, bounded on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel, on the northwest by Gulf of Oman and Iran, on the north by Pakistan, on the east by India, and ...
. Surat will be the world's fastest-growing city from 2019 to 2035, according to a study conducted by Economic Times. The city registered an annualised GDP growth rate of 11.5% over the seven fiscal years between 2001 and 2008. Surat was awarded "best city" by the Annual Survey of India's City-Systems (ASICS) in 2013. Surat has been selected as the first smart IT city in India which is being constituted by the
Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...
CityNext Initiative tied up with IT services majors
Tata Consultancy Services Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is an Indian Multinational corporation, multinational technology company specializing in information technology services and consulting. Headquartered in Mumbai, it is a part of the Tata Group and operates in 150 ...
and
Wipro Wipro Limited () is an Indian multinational technology company based in Bengaluru. It provides information technology, consulting and business process services. It is one of India's Big Six IT services companies. Wipro's services include cloud ...
. The city has 2.97 million internet users, about 65% of total population. Surat was selected in 2015 for an IBM Smarter Cities Challenge grant. Surat has been selected as one of twenty Indian cities to be developed as a
smart city A smart city is an urban area that uses digital technology to collect data and operate services. Data is collected from citizens, devices, buildings, or cameras. Applications include traffic and transportation systems, power plants, utilities ...
under PM Narendra Modi's flagship
Smart Cities Mission Smart Cities Mission was an urban renewal and retrofitting program by the Government of India with the mission to develop smart cities across the country, making them citizen-friendly and sustainable. The Union Ministry of Urban Development ...
. Surat is also home to the world's largest office building by floor area, the
Surat Diamond Bourse Surat Diamond Bourse (SDB) is a diamond trade centre located in DREAM City, Surat, Gujarat, India, designed by the architecture firm Morphogenesis. It is the world's largest diamond trading hub with a floor space of , as well as the world' ...
. Surat is listed as the second cleanest city of India as of 21 August 2020 according to the
Swachh Survekshan ''Swachh Survekshan'' ( lit. Sanskrit "Swachh" for Cleanliness and "Survekshan" for Survey - (सर्व (sarv, “all”) + ईक्षण (īkṣaṇ, “viewing”) is an annual survey of cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation in villages, ci ...
2020 on 20 August. It suffered a major pipeline fire which caused some damage. In the 2021 edition of the same survey, it slipped to 12th place and further dropped to 25th in 2023. Despite these recent fluctuations, Surat continues to implement various cleanliness initiatives and shared the title of the cleanest city in India with Indore in th
2023 Swachh Survekshan Awards
highlighting its ongoing efforts towards maintaining high cleanliness standards.


History


Etymology

The traditional account is that Surat was built up by a wealthy Hindu merchant named Gopi around the year 1500. At first, the town had no name and was simply called "the new place". Gopi consulted with astrologers, who suggested the name "Suraj", or "Suryapur", or "city of the sun". Gopi sent a request to the unnamed king of Gujarat for this to be the new town's name. The Muslim king altered it to ''Surat'' after the word ''
surah A ''surah'' (; ; ) is an Arabic word meaning 'chapter' in the Quran. There are 114 ''suwar'' in the Quran, each divided into ayah, verses (). The ''suwar'' are of unequal length; the shortest ''surah'' (al-Kawthar) has only three verses, while ...
'', which is the name of the chapters of the
Qur'an The Quran, also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation directly from God ('' Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which consist of individual verses ('). Besides ...
. However, the names Suryapur and Surat are both mentioned in sources before 1500, so both the name and the town predate Gopi's time.
Duarte Barbosa Duarte Barbosa (c. 14801 May 1521) was a Portuguese writer and officer from Portuguese India (between 1500 and 1516). He was a scrivener in a '' feitoria'' in Kochi, and an interpreter of the local language, Malayalam. Barbosa wrote the ''Book o ...
described Surat as Suratt. Jacob Peeters referred to Surat as Sourratte which is a Dutch name. There are many other names of Surat in history. Surat is referred to as Surrat, Surate or Soorat in some literature.


Surat before the Mughal Empire

Before the rise of Surat in the 1500s, the nearby town of
Rander Rander is a town in Surat district in the state of Gujarat, India. It is located on the bank of the Tapti River, it is from the city of Surat. History There are some historic indications that Rander was an important port of Western Hi ...
was the main commercial centre in the area. Rander had a prominent Arab merchant community involved in overseas trade with regions such as Burma, China, Malaya, and Sumatra. In the 1500s, Rander declined due to Portuguese raids. Surat became an important port city around the same time, and some of Rander's merchant population likely moved to Surat for economic opportunity. Early references to Surat appear by the 10th century, but they shed little light on what type of settlement it was. As Suryapur, it is mentioned along with Bharuch as a place where an army from
Anhilwara Patan () is the administrative seat of Patan district in the Indian state of Gujarat and is an administered municipality. It was the capital of Gujarat's Chavda and Chaulukya dynasties in medieval times and is also known as Anhilpur-Patan t ...
passed through in 990 en route to attack the ruler of
Lata Latha (Hindi: लता, Kannada: ಲತಾ) is a Hindu Indian female given name, which means "creeper" and "Durga". Latha may refer to: Notable people named Lata *Lata Mangeshkar (1929–2022), Indian singer. *Lata Bhatt (born 1954), Indian sin ...
. Suryapur may also be the port called "Surabaya" mentioned by the 10th-century Arabic geographer
Istakhri Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Farisi al-Istakhri () (also ''Estakhri'', , i.e. from the Iranian city of Istakhr, b. – d. 346 AH/AD 957) was a 10th-century travel author and Islamic geographer who wrote valuable accounts in Arabic of ...
as being four days south of
Khambhat Khambhat (, ), also known as Cambay, is a city and the surrounding urban agglomeration in Anand district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was once an important trading center, but its harbour gradually silted up, and the maritime trade moved ...
and five days north of
Sanjan Sanjan or Sangan or Zangan () may refer to: *Sanjan (Khorasan), a historic city in present-day Turkmenistan *Sanjan, Gujarat, a town in Gujarat state, India, named by Zoroastrian immigrants after the Sanjan in Khorasan * Sangan, Pakistan, a town in ...
. Other Arabic authors spelled the name as "Subara" or "Sufara". The identification of this place with Surat, though, is uncertain, and in any case these early mentions of Suryapur or Surabaya do not indicate whether it was a sizeable town or just a small hamlet. Another early mention of Surat is in the 1190s, after
Qutb ud-Din Aibak Qutb ud-Din Aibak (; 1150 – 4 November 1210) was a Turkic general of the Ghurid emperor Muhammad Ghori. He was in charge of the Ghurid territories in northern India, and after Muhammad Ghori's assassination in 1206, he established his own ...
, then a general of Muhammad Ghuri, defeated the
Chaulukya The Chaulukya dynasty (), also Solanki dynasty, was a dynasty that ruled parts of what are now Gujarat and Rajasthan in north-western India, between and . Their capital was located at Anahilavada (modern Patan). At times, their rule extended ...
king
Bhima II Bhima II (r. 1178–1240), also known as Bhola Bhima, was an Indian king who ruled the Kingdom of Gujarat. He was a member of the Chaulukya (also called Chalukya or Solanki) dynasty. During his reign, the dynasty's power declined greatly as a ...
in battle. According to the local histories of Bakshi Mian Walad Shah Ahmad and Munshi Ghulam Mohi ud-Din, Aibak went as far south as Rander and Surat. Surat was then ruled by a Hindu chief based at nearby Kamrej. This ruler initially tried to take refuge in a garden at Surat, but then decided that he had no chance of resisting Aibak's forces and offered his submission. Aibak, in turn, confirmed him as ruler of Kamrej. From 1297, Gujarat was gradually conquered by Allauddin Khilji, the ruler of the principal state in north India at the time, the
Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate or the Sultanate of Delhi was a Medieval India, late medieval empire primarily based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for more than three centuries.
. The Delhi Sultanate appointed Governors to control Gujarat, but this had to be forcefully imposed, notably in 1347, when
Muhammad bin Tughluq Muhammad bin Tughluq (; ; 1290 – 20 March 1351), or Muhammad II, also named Jauna Khan as Crown Prince, further known by his epithets, The Eccentric Prince, or The Mad Sultan, was the eighteenth Sultan of Delhi. He reigned from 4 February 1 ...
sacked Surat, among other cities. Firoz Shah Tughlaq later built a fort at Surat in 1373. According to Bakshi Mian's account, when Zafar Khan was appointed governor of Gujarat in 1391, he appointed his son Masti Khan to govern Rander and Surat, but Bakshi Mian adds that Surat was not very populous at this point. As control from the Delhi Sultanate waned at the end of the 14th century, pressure grew for an independent Gujarat, culminating in Zafar Khan declaring independence in 1407. Surat was controlled directly by the nobles of the Rajput kingdom of
Baglana Baglana Kingdom was a Maratha Rashtrakuta kingdom of India that was situated on the main trade route between Surat and Daulatabad and Golkonda, with Burhanpur nearby. Marathi Hatgad Inscription of Raja Bhairavsen Bagul mentions conquest of Ha ...
who fell either under the Gujarat Sultans or the
Deccan sultanates The Deccan sultanates is a historiographical term referring to five late medieval to early modern Persianate Indian Muslim kingdoms on the Deccan Plateau between the Krishna River and the Vindhya Range. They were created from the disintegrati ...
. However, following the fall of the Gujarat Sultanate in 1538 it was controlled by more local nobles starting with Chengiz Khan who enjoyed absolute authority over Surat,
Broach Broach may refer to: * Broaching (metalworking), a machining operation that uses a metalworking tool with a series of chisel points mounted on one piece of steel * Broach (nautical), a sudden loss of control of a vessel caused either by wind actio ...
,
Baroda Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is a city situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district. The city is named for its abundance of banyan ...
and
Champaner Champaner is a historical town in the state of Gujarat, in western India. It is located in Panchmahal district, 47 kilometres from the city of Vadodara. The city was briefly the capital of the Sultanate of Gujarat. At an early period Champan ...
. However, in 1637,
Aurangzeb Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...
fully annexed Baglana into the Mughal Empire. In 1514, the Portuguese traveler
Duarte Barbosa Duarte Barbosa (c. 14801 May 1521) was a Portuguese writer and officer from Portuguese India (between 1500 and 1516). He was a scrivener in a '' feitoria'' in Kochi, and an interpreter of the local language, Malayalam. Barbosa wrote the ''Book o ...
described Surat as an important seaport, frequented by many
ship A ship is a large watercraft, vessel that travels the world's oceans and other Waterway, navigable waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research and fishing. Ships are generally disti ...
s from Malabar and various parts of the world. By 1520, the name of the city had become Surat. It was burned by the Portuguese (1512 and 1530), conquered by the Mughals (1573) and was twice raided by the Maratha king
Shivaji Shivaji I (Shivaji Shahaji Bhonsale, ; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680) was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle dynasty. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the Sultanate of Bijapur that formed the genesis of the ...
(17th century). Mughal Emperor
Akbar Akbar (Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar, – ), popularly known as Akbar the Great, was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped the young emperor expa ...
placed major importance on Gujarat and successfully obtained numerous towns in Gujarat. The Mughals were able to conquer Surat due to his campaigns against Gujarat during his rule. In the 1570s, he launched two major campaigns against Gujarat—one of a much longer duration and one much shorter. The fall of Surat occurred during the former campaign and lasted one month and seventeen days. Akbar implemented large military power during these conquests, fighting many battles. Notably, the conquest of Surat was an important catalyst for overseas trade during the rule of the Mughal Empire as it became the most important port city of that reign and evolved into a bustling trading hub.


During the Mughal Empire

It was the most prosperous port in the Mughal empire. Despite being a rich city, Surat looked like a typical "grubby" trader's town with mud-and-bamboo tenements and crooked streets, although along the riverfront there were a few mansions and warehouses belonging to local merchant princes and the establishments of Turkish,
Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...
, English, French and Dutch traders. There were also hospitals for cows, horses, flies and insects run by religious Jains, which puzzled travelers. Some streets were narrow while others were of sufficient width. In the evening, especially near the Bazaar (marketplace), the streets became crowded with people and merchants (including Banyan merchants) selling their goods. Surat was a populous city during the Mughal era but also had a large transient population: during the
monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...
season, when ships could come and go from the ports without danger, the city's population would swell. In 1612,
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
established its first Indian
trading factory Factory was the common name during the medieval and early modern eras for an entrepôt – which was essentially an early form of free-trade zone or transshipment point. At a factory, local inhabitants could interact with foreign merchants, of ...
in Surat. The city was looted twice by the Maratha king
Shivaji Shivaji I (Shivaji Shahaji Bhonsale, ; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680) was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle dynasty. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the Sultanate of Bijapur that formed the genesis of the ...
, with the first sacking occurring in 1664. Shivaji's raids scared trade away and caused ruin to the city. Later, Surat became the emporium of India, exporting gold and cloth. Its major industries were shipbuilding and textile manufacture. The coast of the
Tapti River The Tapti River (or Tapi) is a river in central India located to the south of the Narmada river that flows westwards before draining into the Arabian Sea. The river has a length of around and flows through the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat ...
, from Athwalines to Dumas, was specially meant for shipbuilders, who were usually Rassis. The city continued to be prosperous until the rise of Bombay (present-day
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
). Afterward, Surat's shipbuilding industry declined and Surat itself gradually declined throughout the 18th century. During 1790–1791, an epidemic killed 100,000
Gujaratis The Gujarati people, or Gujaratis, are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who reside in or can trace their ancestry or heritage to a region of the Indian subcontinent primarily centered in the present-day western Indian state of Gujarat. They ...
in Surat. The British and Dutch both claimed control of the city, but in 1800, the British took control of Surat. A fire in 1837 resulted in more than 500 deaths and the destruction of much of the city. By the middle of the 19th century, Surat had become a stagnant city with about 80,000 inhabitants. When India's railways opened, the city started becoming prosperous again.
Silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...
s, cotton, brocades, and objects of gold and silver from Surat became famous and the ancient art of manufacturing fine
muslin Muslin () is a cotton fabric of plain weave. It is made in a wide range of weights from delicate sheers to coarse sheeting. It is commonly believed that it gets its name from the city of Mosul, Iraq. Muslin was produced in different regions o ...
was revived.


Surat under British Raj

Under
British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...
, Surat saw a period of decline from its success under the Mughal Empire. Though it remained a pivotal city for textile-based products, it was less important to the British as a port city than it was for the Mughals. Nevertheless, Surat was very interconnected with Asia and Europe, involving trade with both Europeans and Armenian merchants. Tactically, Surat involved itself in trade in fields that did not compete with existing European products, such as pearls and silver. The textile industry was also a large portion of Surat's shipping success. But despite being a primary port for textiles, Surat rarely manufactured these textiles locally. Bullion was also quite important to Surat's economy during this time. During his first-hand experience on a trip to Surat, Britisher
John Ovington John Ovington (1653–1731) was an English priest known for his travel narrative ''A Voyage to Surat in the Year 1689'', which described his journey to Surat and his experiences there as an East India Company chaplain. Ovington travelled to Ind ...
recalls the great ores Surat possessed, such as gold and silver. He recollects the notable "abundance of Pearls" and other precious stones like diamonds that could "be purchas'd here
urat Urat may refer to: * Urad, or cicilos a region in Bayannur, Inner Mongolia ** Urad Front Banner ** Urad Middle Banner ** Urad Rear Banner * Urat language, in Papua New Guinea {{disambiguation, geo ...
at very reasonable rates." As Ovington observed, this industry was imperative to Surat's prosperity under the British Raj and allowed it to maintain its relevance as a port city. During the Quit India Movement of
Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...
in 1942, A large number of 3,000
Koli Koli may refer to: People * Koli people, Indian caste group * Koli Christians, a Christian subgroup * Muslim Kolis, Muslim community * Koli (surname), Indian surname * Koli Sewabu (born 1975), Fijian rugby union footballer Places * Koli, Fin ...
cultivator A cultivator (also known as a rotavator) is a piece of agricultural machinery, agricultural equipment used for secondary tillage. One sense of the name refers to frames with ''teeth'' (also called ''shanks'') that pierce the soil as they ar ...
s from Matwad, Karadi, Machhad and Kothmadi in Surat
District A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...
fought against British soldiers at Matwad with lathis and dharias on 21 August 1942. In this fight, four persons including one policeman died. The kolis also snatched away four police muskets and two bayonets. Kolis smashed up the Jalalpore
Railway Station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
, removed the Rails and burnt down the post office. After this, situation in the neighbouring villages of
Borsad Borsad is a town and a municipality in Anand district in the state of Gujarat, India. It is located around 17 km from Anand. It is surrounded by the fertile Charotar region which largely produces tobacco, bananas, cotton, barley and o ...
,
Anand Anand may refer to: People * Anand (name), a surname and given name (including a list of people with the name) * Anand (clan), a clan of an Indian caste * Anand (actor), Indian actor * Anand (Maoist), Indian communist * Anand (writer) (born 1936 ...
and Thasra taluqas became so aggravated that British troops was marched through the villages between 22 and 24 August 1942.


Armenians in Surat

The Armenian community in Surat,
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, flourished from the 16th to the 17th centuries, leaving a lasting impact on the city's history. The Armenian gravestones in Surat, dating back to this period, are intricate and well-preserved, showcasing the community's presence and customs. Armenians in Surat were renowned traders, dealing in jewelry, precious stones, cotton, and silk. They established trade routes to destinations such as
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
, the
Levant The Levant ( ) is the subregion that borders the Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean sea to the west, and forms the core of West Asia and the political term, Middle East, ''Middle East''. In its narrowest sense, which is in use toda ...
,
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
,
Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
, and Leghorn, often traveling with their families. The British recognised the Armenians' business prowess, seeking their cooperation for trading privileges in the
Mughal court Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mugh ...
. Today, these gravestones serve as a poignant reminder of the Armenian community's significant contributions to Surat's history and culture.


Modern period


Post Independence

After India gained independence on 15 August 1947, Surat became part of India. At that time it was a part of Bombay State. Later it became the part of Gujarat state. Along with Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Nagpur and Vadodara, Surat became one of the fast growing cities and major commercial and industrial centers of Western India. During the post-independence period, Surat has experienced considerable growth in industrial activities especially textiles and chemical along with trading activities.


1994 Plague

Surat faced a major health crisis in 1994. News of a plague outbreak in Surat occurred in September 1994, and when the possibility of quarantine for the city was mentioned, many residents of Surat fled the city. About a quarter of Surat's population fled the city, including people who were in the incubation phase of the disease. This, in turn, partly contributed to the spread of the plague throughout India. In the media, the cause of the plague was attributed to poor garbage disposal. However, the spread was instead brought about by rodents and fleas which were inadvertently caused by garbage in Surat. The disease ran more rampant through the slum population of Surat. In order to combat the spread of this disease, Surat closed its schools, universities, and public places for an indefinite period. They also ordered the shutdown of important industrial businesses, including diamond-cutting units. Eventually, antibiotics were given out and the plague was controlled. Prior to the major plague outbreak,
Surat Municipal Corporation Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) is the local civic body responsible for the administration of Surat, Gujarat which has come into being under the Bombay Provincial Municipal Act, 1949. The Surat Municipal Corporation was established on 2 Oct ...
was suspended in 1993, leaving no major elected body in charge. During the plague, Suryadevara Ramachandra Rao was elected as the new administrator and launched extensive cleaning campaigns to combat the outbreak. This was a major step towards sanitation and cleanliness in Surat. Rao's campaigns included launching hotel and shop inspections (to address their irresponsible garbage practices) for several months and calling for the broadening of roads. He enforced designated sweeping of the city as well as the regular collection of garbage. Rao also demolished many illegal constructions. However, slums would often fall subject to removal when streets were widened, but Rao ensured that the residents were given alternative residential sites with adequate facilities to accommodate them. Rao's urban and sanitary-related actions fostered the revival of Surat in its post-plague state. Nevertheless, the plague had long-lasting implications for Surat. It brought attention to the lack of information and the spread of misinformation that occurred in India. Incorrect death tolls and false facts about the cause of the disease were spread, leaving lots of room for post-plague city revival both in terms of information control and cleanliness. Surat's actions pertaining to the latter eventually resulted in the
Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) is a non-profit charitable organisation registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. In 2007, the United Nations awarded INTACH a special consultative status with the ...
deeming Surat as the second cleanest city in India.


Present Day Surat

On 2 October 2007, Surat district was split into two by the creation of a new Tapi district, under the Surat District Re-organisation Act 2007.


Geography

Surat is a port city situated on the banks of the Tapi river. After dams were built, water flow in Tapi deceased causing the original port facilities to close. The nearest port is now in the
Magadalla The Port of Magdalla is a port in western India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by popu ...
and
Hazira Hazira is a suburb and a transshipment port in the Surat City in the Gujarat state of India. It is the west most end of Surat. Hazira is one of the major ports of India and the most important element of Surat Metropolitan Region. The town is k ...
area of
Surat Metropolitan Region Surat Urban Development Authority is the urban planning agency of Surat Surat (Gujarati Language, Gujarati: ) is a city in the western Indian States and territories of India, state of Gujarat. The word Surat directly translates to ''face ...
. It has a famous beach called 'Dumas Beach' located in Dumas.The city is located at . It has an average elevation of . The Surat district is surrounded by the
Bharuch Bharuch () is a city at the mouth of the river Narmada in Gujarat in western India. Bharuch is the administrative headquarters of Bharuch District. The city of Bharuch and surroundings have been settled since times of antiquity. It was a shi ...
,
Narmada The Narmada River, previously also known as ''Narbada'' or anglicised as ''Nerbudda'', is the 5th longest river in India and overall the longest west-flowing river in the country. It is also the largest flowing river in the state of Madhya Prade ...
,
Navsari Navsari is the ninth biggest city in the state of Gujarat in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Navsari District. Navsari is between Surat and Mumbai. It is a twin city of Surat, 37 km to the north. At the 2011 Census of Ind ...
and Tapi districts, and
Gulf of Cambay The Gulf of Khambhat, also known as the Gulf of Cambay, is a bay on the Arabian Sea coast of India, bordering the state of Gujarat just north of Mumbai and Diu Island. The Gulf of Khambhat is about long, about wide in the north and up to wi ...
to the west. The climate is tropical and monsoon rainfall is abundant. According to the
Bureau of Indian Standards The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the National Standards Body of India under Department of Consumer affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government ...
, the town falls under seismic zone-III, in a scale of I to V (in order of increasing vulnerability to earthquakes).


Climate

Surat has a
tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry "winter") and ''As'' (for a dry "summer"). The driest month has less than ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
: Aw), moderated strongly by the Sea to the Gulf of Camboy. The summer begins in early March and lasts until June. April and May are the hottest months, the average maximum temperature being .
Monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...
begins in late June and the city receives about of rain by the end of September, with the average maximum being during those months. October and November see the retreat of the monsoon and a return of high temperatures until late November. Winter starts in December and ends in late February, with average mean temperatures of around , and negligible rain. Since the 20th century, Surat has experienced some 20 floods. In 1968, most parts of the city were flooded and in 1994 a flood caused a country-wide plague outbreak, Surat being the epicenter. In 1998, 30 per cent of Surat had gone under water due to flooding in
Tapti river The Tapti River (or Tapi) is a river in central India located to the south of the Narmada river that flows westwards before draining into the Arabian Sea. The river has a length of around and flows through the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat ...
following release of water from
Ukai dam The Ukai Dam, constructed across the Tapti River, is the second largest reservoir in Gujarat after the Sardar Sarovar. It is also known as Vallabh Sagar. Constructed in 1972, the dam is meant for irrigation, power generation and flood control. ...
located 90 km from Surat and in Aug 2006 flood more than 95 per cent of the city was under Tapti river waters, killing more than 120 people, stranding tens of thousands in their homes without food or electricity and closing businesses and schools for weeks. The city is expected to experience more flooding and
extreme weather Extreme weather includes unexpected, unusual, severe weather, severe, or unseasonal weather; weather at the extremes of the historical distribution—the range that has been seen in the past. Extreme events are based on a location's recorded weat ...
as climate change becomes worse, so has invested in flood protection and
climate resilience Climate resilience is a concept to describe how well people or ecosystems are prepared to bounce back from certain climate hazard events. The formal definition of the term is the "capacity of social, economic and ecosystems to cope with a hazardou ...
infrastructure.


Demographics

A resident of Surat is called ''Surati''. According to the 2011 India census, the population of Surat is 4,467,797. Surat has an average literacy rate of 89%, higher than the national average of 79.5%, male literacy is 93%, and female literacy is 84%. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. In Surat, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age. Hindus are the majority community. Muslims and Jains are the largest minorities, and there is a small Buddhist and Christian community. At the time of the 2011 census, 54.42% of the population spoke Gujarati, 22.39%
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
, 9.92%
Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India **Marathi people (Uttar Pradesh), the Marathi people in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Mar ...
, 3.24%
Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
, 3.11% Odia, 1.74%
Marwari Marwari may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the Marwar region of Rajasthan, India, largely in the Thar Desert ** Marwari people, an Indian ethnic group originating in the Marwar region ** Marwari language, the language of the Marwari ...
and 1.38%
Bhojpuri Bhojpuri may refer to: * Bhojpuri language, an Indo-Aryan language of India and Nepal * Bhojpuri grammar, grammatical rules of the language * Bhojpuri nouns, nouns of the language * Bhojpuri people, people who speak the language * Bhojpuri region ...
as their first language.


Politics

Surat is a stronghold of the BJP, which has ruled Gujarat continuously for 30 years.
Mukesh Dalal Mukeshkumar Chandrakant Dalal is an Indian politician from Gujarat who is the member of Parliament in 18th Lok Sabha from Surat constituency since 2024. A member of Bharatiya Janata Party, he previously worked in Surat as party secretary. Bi ...
, of the BJP, is the MP from the Surat Lok Sabha constituency. He was elected unopposed to the Lok Sabha in 2024. Govind Dholakia he was nominated by the
Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...
(BJP) to the
Rajya Sabha Rajya Sabha (Council of States) is the upper house of the Parliament of India and functions as the institutional representation of India’s federal units — the states and union territories.https://rajyasabha.nic.in/ It is a key component o ...
, elected unopposed for the term spanning from 2024 to 2030. The Assembly constituencies of Surat district are


Civic institutions

The
Surat Municipal Corporation Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) is the local civic body responsible for the administration of Surat, Gujarat which has come into being under the Bombay Provincial Municipal Act, 1949. The Surat Municipal Corporation was established on 2 Oct ...
is responsible for maintaining the city's civic infrastructure as well as carrying out associated administrative duties. At present, BJP is the ruling party with a majority. Under the Provisions of Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporations Act, 1949, Section – 4, the powers have been vested in three Distinct Statutory Authorities: the General Board, the Standing Committee, and the Municipal Commissioner. It ranked 7 out of 21 cities for best administrative practices in India in 2014. It scored 3.5 on 10 compared to the national average of 3.3. It is the only city in India to disclose municipal budgets on a weekly basis.


Public safety

Surat began the 'Safe City Project' in 2011 aimed at keeping the city safe using surveillance cameras. The project was headed by Sanjay Srivastava (IPS) who was then the Joint-Commissioner of Surat Police. The 280-square-foot video wall claimed to be the largest surveillance screen in the country, is being installed in the control room of Police Commissioner Mr. Rakesh Asthana (IPS). This will help the police view the entire city live through 10,000 CCTV cameras across the city. Surat police have decided to install 5,000 CCTV cameras at sensitive points across the city. While 1,000 cameras will be night vision cameras, 4,000 others will be simple CCTV cameras. This has been installed on PPP base with the help of the city's businessmen, the city's social persons,
Surat Municipal Corporation Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) is the local civic body responsible for the administration of Surat, Gujarat which has come into being under the Bombay Provincial Municipal Act, 1949. The Surat Municipal Corporation was established on 2 Oct ...
, and the Surat City Police.


Hospitals

* Government Medical College * Surat Municipal Institute of Medical Education and Research * Kiran Hospital


Economy

Surat ranked ninth in India with a GDP of $40 billion in the fiscal year 2016. The GDP of Surat in 2020 will be around $57 billion estimated by The City Mayors Foundation, an international think tank on urban affairs. Surat is a major hub of diamond cutting and polishing. The first diamond workshops in Gujarat appeared in Surat and Navasari in the late 1950s. The major group working in this industry is people from the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. Because of demand in the American market from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s (with only a brief recession in 1979), Surat's diamond industry grew tremendously. Currently, most of the diamond polishing workshops are running in the
Varachha Varachha is a Suburb in Surat city and host of the Surat Diamond and embroidery Industry. The people of Saurashtra of Western Gujarat moved away from their rain-starved native to Surat in search for income generation and survival almost fou ...
area of Surat, mostly by the people of the
Patel Patel is an Indian surname or Indian honorifics, title, predominantly found in the States and union territories of India, state of Gujarat, representing the community of land-owning farmers and later (with the British East India Company) busine ...
community. Around the world, 8 out of 10 diamonds on the market were cut and polished in Surat. This industry earns India about US$10 billion in annual exports. That declined by about 18% in 2019 due to reduced demand for diamonds. The decline continued in 2020 when the industry closed for some months because of the
COVID-19 pandemic in India The COVID-19 pandemic in India is a part of the COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). As of , according to Indian government ...
. A legacy of old Dutch trade links, it began after a Surti entrepreneur returned from East Africa bringing diamond cutters. The rough diamonds are mined in South Africa and other regions of the African continent, and go from here as smooth gems to Antwerp, Belgium where the international diamond trade is run mainly by Hasidic Jews and Jains from Palanpur in North Gujarat. Surat's economy drives from a range of manufacturing and industry fields such as diamonds, textiles, petrochemicals, shipbuilding, automobile, port etc. Since it is known for producing textiles, including silk, Surat is known as the textile hub of the nation or the Silk City of India. It is very famous for its cotton mills and Surat Zari Craft. Surat is the biggest center of MMF (man-made fiber) in India. It has a total of 381 dyeing and printing mills and 41,100 power loom units. There are over a hundred thousand units and mills in total. The overall annual turnover is around 5 billion rupees. There are over 800 cloth wholesalers in Surat. It is the largest manufacturer of clothes in India, and Surti dress material can be found in any state of India. Surat produces 9 million meters of fabric annually, which accounts for 60% of the total polyester cloth production in India. Now the city is focusing on increasing the exports of its textile. There are many SME Domestic IT Companies present in Surat. MNC IT companies like IBM, HCL have satellite or virtual branches in Surat. On 14 February 2014, Government of Gujarat DST had handover STPI Surat at Bhestan-Jiav Road, Bhestan Near Udhana-Sachin BRTS Route. Surat city administration will demand for setting up of an information technology (IT) hub and an Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) on the outskirts of the city.
Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...
CityNext initiative has tied up with IT services majors
Tata Consultancy Services Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is an Indian Multinational corporation, multinational technology company specializing in information technology services and consulting. Headquartered in Mumbai, it is a part of the Tata Group and operates in 150 ...
and
Wipro Wipro Limited () is an Indian multinational technology company based in Bengaluru. It provides information technology, consulting and business process services. It is one of India's Big Six IT services companies. Wipro's services include cloud ...
to leverage technology for
sustainable growth Sustainable development is an approach to growth and human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General Assembly (1987)''Report of th ...
of cities in India. The first smart IT city in India is being constituted by the Microsoft CityNext Initiative in Surat,
Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...
. In 2011, Surat hosted India's first Microsoft DreamSpark Yatra (a tech event) with speakers from Microsoft Headquarters at
Redmond, Washington Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 73,256 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Redmond is best known as the home of Microsoft and Nintendo of America. The city h ...
. The event was organised by ex-
Microsoft Student Partner The Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors (formerly called Microsoft Student Partners) is a program to sponsor students majoring in disciplines related to technology. The MSP (now MLSA) program enhances students' employability by offering training i ...
Samarth Zankharia. In May 2015, Tech giant
IBM International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...
has chosen Surat among 16 global locations for its smart cities program to help them address challenges like waste management, disaster management and citizen services. Under the program, IBM will send a team of experts to each of the chosen cities where they will spend three weeks working closely with city staff analysing data about critical issues faced by its local bodies; the co-operation continued into 2016. Surat is being a port city, it has turned as a major commercial and industrial hub in India. It is home for many companies such as
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) is an Indian central public sector undertaking which is the largest government-owned oil and gas explorer and producer in the country. It accounts for around 70 percent of India's domestic pro ...
,
Reliance Industries Reliance Industries Limited is an Indian multinational conglomerate headquartered in Mumbai. Its businesses include energy, petrochemicals, natural gas, retail, entertainment, telecommunications, mass media, and textiles. Reliance is the ...
(
Hazira Manufacturing Division Hazira Manufacturing Division (HMD) is the manufactory of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) located at Hazira, Gujarat, India in Surat. It was commissioned in 1991–92. It is a multi-product, fully integrated complex, manufacturing a wide range ...
),
Essar Steel Essar Steel was a common name of the steel manufacturing companies of the Essar Group of Companies. Its main subsidiary was Essar Steel India Limited, a fully integrated flat carbon steel manufacturer based in Mumbai, which owned and operated a ...
,
Larsen & Toubro Larsen & Toubro Limited, abbreviated as L&T, is an Indian multinational conglomerate, with interests in industrial technology, heavy industry, engineering, construction, manufacturing, power, information technology, defence and financial se ...
,
Krishak Bharati Cooperative Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO) is a national level multistate cooperative society under the Ministry of Coorperation, Government of India Dr. Chandrapal Singh Yadav is the chairman from 1999. Shri MR Sharma is the Managing Di ...
,
NTPC Limited NTPC Limited, formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation, is an Indian central Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the ownership of the Ministry of Power and the Government of India, who is engaged in the generation of electricit ...
,
Bharat Petroleum Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited is an Indian public sector oil and gas company, headquartered in Mumbai. It is India's second-largest government-owned downstream oil producer, whose operations are overseen by the Ministry of Petroleum and ...
,
Indian Oil Corporation Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL or IOC), trading as IndianOil, is an Indian multinational oil and gas company under the ownership of the Government of India and administrative control of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. It is ...
,
UltraTech Cement UltraTech Cement Limited is an Indian multinational cement company based in Mumbai. It is the largest manufacturer of grey cement, ready-mix concrete (RMC) and white cement in India, and the fifth largest in the world, with an installed capaci ...
,
Shell Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin structure ** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses Science Biology * Seashell, a hard outer layer of a marine ani ...
,
GAIL Gail may refer to: People * Gail (given name), list of notable people with the given name Surname * Jean-Baptiste Gail (1755–1829), French Hellenist scholar * Max Gail (born 1943), American actor * Sophie Gail (1775–1819), French singer ...
, GSEG,
Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation Ltd (GSPCL) is a state government-owned group of oil and gas exploration, production and distribution companies based in Gujarat, India. It is India's only state government-owned oil and gas company under the ...
,
Hero MotoCorp Hero MotoCorp Limited is an Indian multinational motorcycle and scooter manufacturer headquartered in Delhi. It has a market share of about 30% in the Indian two-wheeler industry. The Munjal family, with its 34.75% stake, is the biggest shar ...
etc.
Hazira Port Hazira Port or Surat Port is a deep-water liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and multi-cargo deep-water port about 20 miles southwest of Surat, India built by Essar Group. It was originally designed as a captive port for Essar Steel. The curre ...
is located in
Hazira Hazira is a suburb and a transshipment port in the Surat City in the Gujarat state of India. It is the west most end of Surat. Hazira is one of the major ports of India and the most important element of Surat Metropolitan Region. The town is k ...
, an industrial suburb where most of the industries are located while other region is
Magdalla The Port of Magdalla is a port in western India, located on the southern bank of the Tapi River, around 10 km from Surat. It is operated by Gujarat Maritime Board. About the Port It is a medium-sized port. There are various types of vess ...
which is also developed as Port of Magdalla. The government of Gujarat plans another project near Surat similar to
Gujarat International Finance Tec-City Gujarat International Finance Tec-City also called GIFT City, is a central business district under construction in the Gandhinagar district as suburb city of Ahmedabad in Ahmedabad Metropolitan Region in Gujarat, India. It is India's first ope ...
(GIFT). The Chief Minister has suggested that the government wishes to develop DREAM to have a five-seven star hotel, bank, IT, corporate trading house, entertainment zone and other facilities while the
Surat Diamond Bourse Surat Diamond Bourse (SDB) is a diamond trade centre located in DREAM City, Surat, Gujarat, India, designed by the architecture firm Morphogenesis. It is the world's largest diamond trading hub with a floor space of , as well as the world' ...
(SDB) will be based there. Allotment of Khajod land for the project is convenient for the state government because they have of available land. The Trade Centre, located near Sarsana village, will have a pillar-less air-conditioned hall with a pillar-less dome. Image:Greatersuratindustry.jpg, Metropolitan Surat economic centers and industries map File:Hazira Industrial Area,ONGC.jpg,
ONGC The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) is an Indian central public sector undertaking which is the largest government-owned oil and gas explorer and producer in the country. It accounts for around 70 percent of India's domestic pro ...
plant in
Hazira Hazira is a suburb and a transshipment port in the Surat City in the Gujarat state of India. It is the west most end of Surat. Hazira is one of the major ports of India and the most important element of Surat Metropolitan Region. The town is k ...
File:Aerial view of Surat ,Adajan Side.jpg, Aerial view of Surat, Adajan Side. Sardar Patel bridge on Tapti river is visible in the middle. File:SuratAhmedabadMumbai 020.jpg, Surat's Textile District Ring Road in 2007


Transport

Built in 1860,
Surat railway station Surat Railway Station (Code: ST) is a major railway station serving Surat, beside Gothangam, Kosad, , , , and . It is under the administrative control of the Western Railway zone of the Indian Railways. Surat is A1 – category railway station ...
falls under the administrative control of
Western Railway zone The Western Railway (abbreviated WR) is one of the 19 zones of Indian Railways and is among the busiest railway networks in India, headquartered at Mumbai, Maharashtra. The major railway routes of Indian Railways which come under Western Railw ...
of the
Indian Railways Indian Railways is a state-owned enterprise that is organised as a departmental undertaking of the Ministry of Railways (India), Ministry of Railways of the Government of India and operates India's national railway system. , it manages the fou ...
. In early 2016, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation rated the facility the best large station in India based on cleanliness. The
Sitilink The Sitilink or Surat BRTS is an integrated bus rapid transit and public bus transport system for Surat, Gujarat, India. It has been operational since 26 January 2014 by Surat Municipal Corporation. Corridors Phase 1 The Two corridors have b ...
or Surat BRTS is a bus rapid transit system in the city. Initiated by Bharat Shah, additional city engineer of Surat Municipal Corporation. It is operated by Surat Municipal Corporation and as of August 2017, had a network of 245 buses connecting major localities.
Surat International Airport Surat Airport is an international airport serving Surat, Gujarat, India. It is located in Magdalla, situated 12 km (6.4 mi) from the city centre. It has a total area of 770 acres (312 ha) and is the second busiest airport in Gujarat ...
located in
Magdalla The Port of Magdalla is a port in western India, located on the southern bank of the Tapi River, around 10 km from Surat. It is operated by Gujarat Maritime Board. About the Port It is a medium-sized port. There are various types of vess ...
, 11 kilometres (7 mi) southwest of Surat. It is the 2nd busiest airport in Gujarat in terms of both aircraft movements and passenger traffic. Currently, airlines such as Air India, Alliance Air, AirAsia India, SpiceJet, IndiGo Airlines, Air Odisha, Ventura AirConnect provide flight services from the Surat to various major cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Goa, Jaipur, Visakhapatnam. There are also regular international flights on the Sharjah route of Air India Express. Apart from the main city, Surat Airport also caters to various localities of south Gujarat including Navsari, Bardoli, Valsad, Bharuch, Ankleshwar.
Surat Metro The Surat Metro is an under-construction rapid transit rail system for Surat in the Surat Metropolitan Region, Gujarat state of India. Two corridors with a combined length of 40.35 kilometers are under construction since 18 January 2021. The pr ...
is an under construction rapid transit rail system for the city.


Culture


Food

Surat is known for its food and has its own list of cherished street foods. There is a famous saying in Gujarati, "સુરતનું જમણ અને કાશીનું મરણ", meaning Eat in Surat and Die in  Kashi for the ultimate experience of the soul. The unique dishes of Surat include
Locho Locho is a steamed farsan (snack/side dish) that originated in Surat, Gujarat, India. It is made from gram flour. The dish derives its name from its loose consistency and irregular shape like dumplings. It is somewhat related to Khaman. Unlike ...
Ghari (sweet) Ghari or Surati Ghari is a sweet Gujarati dish from Surat, Gujarat, India. Ghari is made of puri batter, milk 'mawa', ghee and sugar – made into round shapes with sweet filling, to be consumed on Chandani Padva Chandani Padva or Chandi Pa ...
, Surti Bhusu, Alupuri,  Kavsa,
Ponk Ponk or Paunk (Gujarati પૌંક) is a Cuisine of Gujarat, Gujarati snack made from tender roasted sorghum grains mixed with other products such as sev (food), sev. To prepare the snack, the green immature sorghum grains (called ''ponk'') a ...
, Ulta Vadapav,
Undhiyu Undhiyu ( Gujarati: ઊંધિયું) is a Gujarati mixed-vegetable dish that is a regional specialty of Surat, Gujarat, India. The name of this dish comes from the Gujarati word ''undhu'' ( Gujarati: ઊંધું), which translates to ...
,
Dhokla Dhokla is a savoury sponge dish that is native to the Indian state of Gujarat and parts of adjacent states, and is popular throughout the country. It is made with a fermented batter that is steamed to a cake-like consistency. The batter consists o ...
,
Khaman Khaman is a savoury snack from India that found fame in Gujarat. Khaman is made from ground channa daal or channa gram flour, usually with lemon juice, semolina, and curd. A final '' tadka'' can be added, using ingredients such as asafoetida a ...
, Rasaawala Khaman, Sev Khamani, and so forth. People's love for food in Surat is so great that there is a lane called "Khaudra Gali", which means "foodie's lane", which has all stalls of various types of dishes, the specialty being Mysore Dosa.


Education


Universities

Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat or National Institute of Technology, Surat (SVNIT or NIT, Surat), is a Public university, public technical university established by the Parliament of India in 1961. It is one of 31 N ...
is one of 31
National Institutes of Technology The National Institutes of Technology (NITs) are centrally funded technical institutes under the ownership of the Ministry of Education, Government of India. They are governed by the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education, and ...
that are recognised as
Institutes of National Importance In India, an Institution of National Importance (INI) refers to a premier public higher education institution granted special status by an act of the Parliament of India. Such institutions are recognized for their pivotal role in developing high ...
by the Government of India. Indian Institute of Information Technology, Surat started in 2017. Most of the regional colleges are affiliated to Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU, named after the poet Veer Narmad), which has headquarters in the Surat Metropolitan Region. Colleges are also affiliated to SNDT,
Gujarat Technological University Gujarat Technological University (International Innovative University), commonly referred as ''GTU'', is a public state university affiliating many engineering, pharmacy, and management colleges in Gujarat, India India, officially the ...
and other universities. Government Medical College, Surat is a more than 50 years old medical school of 250 yearly student admission capacity with attached tertiary care hospital, New Civil Hospital. Surat Municipal Institute of Medical Education and Research (SMIMER) is a Municipal Medical College affiliated with the Veer Narmad South Gujarat University. Auro University has also started to provide education in Surat.


Science Centre

Science Centre A science museum is a museum devoted primarily to science. Older science museums tended to concentrate on static displays of objects related to natural history, paleontology, geology, industry and industrial machinery, etc. Modern trends in mu ...
, Surat is a multi-facility complex built by the Surat Municipal Corporation in 2009, the first of its type in western India. The complex houses a science centre, museum, an art gallery, an auditorium, an
amphitheater An amphitheatre ( U.S. English: amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meaning "place for vie ...
, and a planetarium.


Sports


Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay Indoor Stadium

With a seating capacity of 6800, Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay Indoor Stadium is the first of its kind in the Western Region of India. The stadium frequently organises national and international indoor games such as volleyball, table tennis, gymnastics, handball, boxing, wrestling, badminton, basketball, and tennis. It has a central arena of size 63 m × 33 m, rooms for participants and team officials, and other essential facilities including snack bars. This is also a convenient venue for organising cultural programs, music concerts, drama, fashion shows, seminars, conferences, and many more. The Indoor Stadium also hosted TEDxSurat 2018 on 7 October 2018 which was the largest TEDx conference in Gujarat and one of the largest TEDx conferences in the world.


Lalbhai Contractor Cricket Stadium

Lalbhai contractor cricket stadium has a capacity of more than 7000 and hosted several Ranji, Irani, and
Duleep Trophy The Duleep Trophy, is a domestic First Class Cricket competition played in India. Named after former cricketer Duleepsinhji, the competition has largely been contested by teams representing various geographical zones of India since the first ed ...
matches. The stadium also serves as a primary destination for local budding cricketers and enthusiasts. The stadium has hosted several benefit matches for international cricketers as well.


Surat in literature

*'' The Coffee-House of Surat'' — by
Leo Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy Tolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; ,Throughout Tolstoy's whole life, his name was written as using Reforms of Russian orthography#The post-revolution re ...
*''A Voyage to Surat in the Year 1689'' — by
John Ovington John Ovington (1653–1731) was an English priest known for his travel narrative ''A Voyage to Surat in the Year 1689'', which described his journey to Surat and his experiences there as an East India Company chaplain. Ovington travelled to Ind ...
*Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Gujarát Surat and Broach *'' The Land of Malabar'' — by
Duarte Barbosa Duarte Barbosa (c. 14801 May 1521) was a Portuguese writer and officer from Portuguese India (between 1500 and 1516). He was a scrivener in a '' feitoria'' in Kochi, and an interpreter of the local language, Malayalam. Barbosa wrote the ''Book o ...
* Plague in Surat: Crisis in Urban Governance — by Archana Ghosh and S. Sami Ahmad *
Surat, Broach and Other Old Cities of Goojerat Sir Theodore Cracraft Hope (9 December 1831 – 4 July 1915), often referred to as T. C. Hope, was a British born civil servant of the Government of India. His duties included Public Works, and he was an active layman of the Anglican Church. ...
— by Theodore Hope


Neighborhoods and localities

* Bhimrad * Kosamba *
Varachha Varachha is a Suburb in Surat city and host of the Surat Diamond and embroidery Industry. The people of Saurashtra of Western Gujarat moved away from their rain-starved native to Surat in search for income generation and survival almost fou ...
* Udhana * Sachin * Pandesara * Athwalines


Notable people

*
Abbas–Mustan Abbas–Mustan are an Indian filmmaker duo consisting of brothers Abbas Alibhai Burmawalla and Mustan Alibhai Burmawalla, working in Hindi cinema Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily pr ...
, Bollywood directors *
Hashim Amla Hashim Mahomed Amla OIS (born 31 March 1983) is a South African former international cricketer who captained the national side in Tests and ODIs. Amla holds the record for being the fastest ever to score 3,000, 4,000, and 7,000 ODI runs, joint ...
, South African Cricketer * Henry Barnes-Lawrence (1815–1896), Anglican clergyman, and founder of the
Association for the Protection of Sea-Birds The Association for the Protection of Sea-Birds was formed in the late 1860s by The Rev. Henry Frederick Barnes-Lawrence the incumbent The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position. In an election, the incumbent is the pers ...
* Chahhyaben Bhuva, politician * Kiransinh Chauhan, Gujarati poet and scriptwriter * Abdulgani Dahiwala, Gujarati poet *
Ismail Darbar Ismail Darbar is an Indian film score composer, instrumentalist, singer, violinist and music director. He won the National Film Award for Best Music Direction for '' Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam'' (1999). Career Ismail Darbar is from Surat, Gu ...
,
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
composer *
Freddy Daruwala Freddy Daruwala (born 12 May 1984) is an Indian model and actor who works in Hindi films. Personal life Freddy Daruwala was born on 12 May 1984 in Surat, Gujarat. He is of Parsi and Gujarati descent. He holds a Master of Business Administrat ...
, Bollywood actor *
Harmeet Desai Harmeet Desai (born 19 July 1993) is an Indian table tennis player. He is from Surat. In 2018 Commonwealth Games held at Gold Coast, Australia, He won gold in men's team event with Sharath Kamal, Anthony Amalraj, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran & San ...
, table-tennis player *
Jayant Desai Jayant Desai (born Jayantilal Jhinabhai Desai, 28 February 1909 – 19 April 1976) was an Indian film director and producer. After graduating from the University of Bombay Desai joined Ranjit Studios in 1929 where he directed numerous films incl ...
, director *
Prachi Desai Prachi Desai (born 12 September 1988), is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films and television. Desai is a recipient of several accolades including an IIFA Award and four Indian Telly Awards, as well as two Filmfare Awards nomin ...
, actress in Bollywood * Govind Dholakia, an Indian businessman & Member of Rajya Sabha. *
Savji Dholakia Savji Dhanji Dholakia (born 12 April 1962) is an Indian businessman. He is the founder and chairman of Hari Krishna Exports, a diamond manufacturing and exporting company. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2022. Biography Savji Dholakia was bo ...
, an Indian businessman. He is the founder and chairman of Hari Krishna Export. * Mathur Savani ,Businessman & Social activist *
Pratik Gandhi Pratik Gandhi (born 28 April 1980) is an Indian actor who primarily works in Gujarati language, Gujarati and Hindi films, theater, and television. He is best known for portraying Harshad Mehta in the Sony LIV biographical series ''Scam 1992'' ( ...
, Bollywood actor * Jashwant Gangani, writer, director, producer * Yazdi Karanjia, theatre person - noted as one of the doyens of
Parsi theatre Parsi theatre is a generic term for an influential theatre tradition, staged by Parsis, and theatre companies largely-owned by the Parsi business community, which flourished between 1850 and the 1930s. Plays were primarily in the Hindustani langua ...
*
Sanjeev Kumar Sanjeev Kumar (born Harihar Jethalal Jariwala; 9 July 1938 – 6 November 1985) was an Indian actor. Considered as one of the greatest actors of Indian Cinema, he is well remembered for his versatility and genuine portrayal of his characters. ...
(actual name Haribhai Jariwala), film actor *
Mareez Abbas Abdul Ali Vasi (22 February 1917 – 19 October 1983), known popularly as Mareez, was an Indian poet of Gujarati language, mainly popular for his Ghazals. He is popularly known as '' Ghalib of Gujarat''. He left studies in young age and ...
, 20th century Gujarati poet, popular for his ghazals *
Mehtab (actress) Mehtab (1913–1997) was an Indian actress of Hindi-Urdu films who worked from 1928 to 1969. Early life She was born in Sachin, Gujarat, to a Muslim family and named Najma. Her father, Nawab Sidi Ibrahim Mohammad Yakut Khan III, was the Nawab ...
Actress *
Babubhai Mistry Babubhai Mistry (5 September 1918 – 20 December 2010) was an Indian film director and special effects pioneer who is best known for his films based on Hindu mythology, such as ''Sampoorna Ramayana'' (1961), ''Mahabharat (1965 film), Mahabhar ...
, special effect - Bollywood trick scene photography *
Narmad Narmadashankar Lalshankar Dave () (24 August 1833 – 26 February 1886), popularly known as Narmad, was an Indian Gujarati-language poet, playwright, essayist, orator, lexicographer and reformer under the British Raj. He is considered to be th ...
, Gujarati poet, playwright, essayist, orator, lexicographer and reformer under the British Raj *
Hardik Pandya Hardik Himanshu Pandya (born 11 October 1993) is an Indian international Cricket, cricketer who plays for the India national cricket team, Indian cricket team. He is an all-rounder who is a right-handed middle order batsman and Fast bowling, f ...
, Indian international Cricketer * Dhwanil Parekh, 20th century Gujarati poet *
Hendrik van Rheede Hendrik Adriaan van Rheede tot Drakenstein (13 April 1636 – 15 December 1691) was a Dutch military man and colonial administrator of the Dutch East India Company. Between 1669 and 1676 he served as a governor of Dutch Malabar at Kochi and em ...
(1636–1691), Dutch botanist and colonial administrator. Died of the coast of
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
and was buried at the Dutch Cemetery in Surat. *
Mufaddal Saifuddin Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin () is the spiritual leader, the 53rd Da'i al-Mutlaq of more than one million Dawoodi Bohras, a subgroup of the Tayyibi, Musta'li, Ismaili Shia branch of Islam. He is the second son of the 52nd Da'i al-Mutlaq, M ...
religious leader of the
Dawoodi Bohra The Dawoodi Bohras are a religious denomination within the Ismā'īlī branch of Shia Islam. They number approximately one million worldwide and have settled in over 40 countries around the world. The majority of the Dawoodi Bohra community re ...
*
Harsh Sanghavi Harsh Rameshbhai Sanghavi (born 8 January 1985) is an Indian politician from Gujarat. He is a three time member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly representing Majura Assembly constituency representing the Bharatiya Janata Party. He is also a ...
, MLA - Majura Constituency & Minister of State (MoS) * Gunvant Shah, educationist and columnist *
Bhagwatikumar Sharma Bhagwatikumar Sharma (31 May 1934 – 5 September 2018) was an Indian author and journalist who wrote in Gujarati. Born in Surat and educated in languages, he edited a daily for several years. He wrote novels, short stories, poetry, essays an ...
, author and journalist *
Farooq Sheikh Farooq Sheikh (25 March 1948 − 28 December 2013) was an Indian actor, philanthropist and television presenter. He was best known for his work in Hindi films from 1973 to 1993 and for his work in television between 1988 and 2002. He returned to ...
, actor and television presenter * Sultana, Actress *
Abid Surti Abid Surti or Aabid Surti (born 5 May 1935) is an Indian painter, author, cartoonist, journalist, environmentalist, playwright and screenwriter. He was given a National Award by the government of India in 1993 for writing a series of short stor ...
, Indian cartoonist and writer *
Mehul Surti Mehul Surti (born 16 November 1977) in an Indian music composer and singer from Surat, Gujarat, India, known for his work in Gujarati cinema and Gujarati theatre. He has composed music for several successful Gujarati films including ''Kevi Rite ...
, Indian musician * Mohammed Surti, Indian National Congress politician *
Rusi Surti Rusi Framroze Surti ( 25 May 1936 – 13 January 2013) was an Indian cricketer who played in 26 Tests from 1960 to 1969. He was a left-arm medium pace and left-arm spin bowler and a lower-order batsman. Surti was also a popular professional for ...
, Indian cricketer * Naval Tata, former chairman of Tata Group *
Virji Vora Virji Vora ( 1590– 1670s) was an Indian merchant from Surat during the Mughal era. The East India Company Factory Records describe him as the richest merchant in the world at the time. According to English records, his personal worth is estima ...
, businessman known as "merchant prince" during Mughal era *
Zubeida Zubeida Begum Dhanrajgir (1911 – 21 September 1988) was an Indian actress. Early in her career, she starred in a number of silent films, which were followed by a breakthrough in the first Indian talkie ''Alam Ara'' (1931). Her other notable ...
, actress


See also

*
Dumas Beach Dumas Beach is a rural beach along the Arabian Sea, located southwest of the city of Surat in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is a popular tourist destination in South Gujarat. It is said to be haunted and was a burial site. Places of inter ...
*
List of colleges in Surat Surat ( Gujarati: ) is a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The word Surat directly translates to ''face'' in Urdu, Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of the river Tapti near its confluence with the Arabian Sea, it used to b ...
*
List of tourist attractions in Surat Surat is a city of the western Indian state of Gujarat, the eighth largest city and ninth largest urban agglomeration in India. Surat is the 2nd cleanest city of India and world's fastest growing city. Surat is also famous for its food, besi ...
*
Surat BRTS The Sitilink or Surat BRTS is an integrated bus rapid transit and public bus transport system for Surat, Gujarat, India. It has been operational since 26 January 2014 by Surat Municipal Corporation. Corridors Phase 1 The Two corridors have b ...
*
Surat high-speed railway station Surat high-speed railway station is an under construction High-speed railway, high-speed railway station on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor. It is located at Antroli near Surat and Kadodara in Gujarat, India. It is the seventh s ...


References


External links


GeoHack – Surat

Website of Surat Municipal Corporation

Pincode list
() * * {{Authority control 1612 establishments in the British Empire Cities and towns in Surat district Former capital cities in India Gulf of Khambhat Metropolitan cities in India Populated coastal places in India Populated places established in the 2nd millennium Port cities and towns of the Arabian Sea Port cities in India Smart cities in India