Jawaharlal Nehru Garden – Colloquially known as Chowpaty, this is the largest and one of the oldest gardens in the city. It houses a musical fountain as well. The adjoining area is one of the most famous eating spots with sequences of stalls serving Indian snacks along with Chinese and South Indian cuisines.
Local Hindu traditions state that the city as we know it today was founded in the last years of the fifteenth century by a Brahman named Gopi, who called it Suryapur (City of the Sun).
Most cable service providers have local television channels. Satellite TV DTH services are provided by DISH TV, TATA SKY, Airtel, SUN DIRECT, BIG TV. Broadband internet connections are also available in the city. Broadband service providers include BSNL, TATA Indicom, Reliance Communication, YOU Broadband and Hathway Communications. Wi-Fi connectivity is available at many cafes. Currently, Surat has five private FM Radio stations – Radio City 91.1, Radio Mirchi 98.3, My FM 94.3, Big FM 92.7, 93.5 Red FM along with the national radio 101.10 Vividh Bharati.
Most of the colleges are affiliated to Veer Narmad south Gujarat University (VNSGU) which is named after the Great Kavi Veer Narmad. Apart from that colleges are also affiliated to SNDT, GTU-Gujarat Technical University, Uka-Tarsadiya University and other universities too.
On 22 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-fuelled. However, route information written by chalk on windshield is more often visible. Frequency of buses is sparse, making shared auto rickshaws a main mode of local travel. The conductor uses an electronic machine to print out the tickets. Bus rapid transit system is planned for the city and the project is expected to be completed by end of 2013. In August 2012, plans for an intracity metro train service were approved by Chief Minister Narendra Modi. This plan includes the construction of underground and overground metro trains and monorails. The twin cities of Surat and Navsari will also be connected by metro railway under this project. Construction is expected to commence soon. Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) is confident of making the metro rail project a reality in the city by 2017-18.
Owing to heavy traffic congestion on major highways passing through Surat city, new expressways are planned and will be completed by 2013. Surat has excellent roads according to Business Today Magazine. Surat Municipal Corporation tries to improve road infrastructure of the city. The major highways passing through Surat are the Udhana-Mumbai Highway also known as Udhana-Navsari Highway, Surat-Ahmedabad Highway also known as Varachha Main Road, Surat-Kolkata Highway also known as Dhulia Highway. Due to rapid urbanisation and to get rid of fatal accidents Surat Municipal Corporation and Surat Urban Development Authority has planned to develop an Outer Ring Road and Middle Ring Road which are under construction to decongest the traffic from the major Highways passing through city. The city has recently seen the completion of a large number of road projects, particularly elevated roads, flyovers, in the diamond and textile zones of the city. Surat is also known as city of flyovers having the highest number of flyover in India. This has significantly cut down the commuting time for many people travelling to the diamond and textile districts. One of the very few “Multi-Layer Flyovers” in India is now in Surat over Majura Gate. The Eastern expressway also known as Varachha Flyway is one of India’s longest flyover under city municipal limits in the four lane category. Surat will have 94 flyovers till 2015 end.Till now 63 are constructed.
Saputara is a hill station in the Sahyadri Hills only 170 km from Surat at an altitude of 1140 meters above sea level. Lying at a higher altitude Saputara has a cool climate.
Schools in Surat are either municipal schools, run by the Surat Municipal Corporation or private schools, which in some cases receive financial aid from the government. The schools are affiliated to the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSEB), the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) and few schools are affiliated under National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). Gujarati or English are the usual languages of instruction. The government-run public schools lack many facilities, but are the only option for poorer residents who cannot afford the more expensive private schools. A majority of residents prefer private schools because of better infrastructure and the use of English as a medium of instruction. High-profile schools have started coming up in the city, with some of them being among the most expensive in the country.
Science Centre – Developed by the Surat Municipal Corporation in City Light area, Science Centre currently comprises a dedicated section for science exhibits, planetarium, art gallery and a museum dedicated to the history of Surat. It also has an auditorium with a seating capacity of 240 and an amphitheatre with seating capacity of 200. A dedicated gallery for Diamonds, Textile and Space are also proposed.
Surat , previously known as Suryapur, is a well-developed metropolis of the Indian state of Gujarat. It is also administrative capital of Surat district. The city is located 306 km south of state capital Gandhinagar, and is situated on the left bank of the Tapti River (Tapi), the center being around 22 km (14 mi) from its mouth.
Surat Airport has air connectivity with Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Amritsar. A new terminal building was inaugurated in February 2009. The airport was shut since 2001 due to technical reasons. Before airport became functional in May 2007, Surat was the only city in the world with a population above 4 million that did not have a functioning airport. Planned improvements at the airport include a capacity to handle up to 7 jet aircraft at a time, runway extension to 2,500 meters and a second runway.
Surat also own a very well known Sir P.T. Sarvajanik College of Science. Along with P. T. Science college M.T.B. Arts and K.P. Commerce College within Sarvajanik College Campus are the one of the oldest colleges of Gujarat.
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, Jahangir and Shah Jahan, 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.
Surat has a booming real estate market due to its fast growing population. The Surat Municipal Corporation has taken out various town planning schemes. The burgeoning middle-class market is the main segment to which the industry caters.
Surat has a tropical savanna 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 maximum temperature being 40 °C (104 °F). Monsoon begins in late June and the city receives about 1,000 millimetres (39 in) of rain by the end of September, with the average maximum being 32 °C (90 °F) 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 23 °C (73 °F), and little rain.
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.
Surat has many sports facilities. The Lalbhai Contractor Stadium, VNSGU’s University ground with excellent structure and Pithawala Cricket stadium have facilities for hosting cricket matches. In addition, Surat Municipal Corporation has built Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Indoor Stadium with modern facilities and a seating capacity for 7000. There are a few sports clubs which provide many types of indoor and outdoor games, including The Surat Tennis Club, Surat City Gymkhana and Rander Gymkhana (RG). 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.
Surat is also home to the royal descendants of the Amejee family which settled in Gujarat. The family were known to have direct lineage to the Mogul emperors, governed the Manikpur district, and were later known as the Boodi family.
Surat is famous for its diamond industry and textile industry, along with silk and chemicals. It is at the heart of the world’s diamond-polishing industry, which in 2005 cut 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. The industry is in a decline now.
Surat is growing much as its neighbouring metro Mumbai and by 2020 it is estimated that Surat will be the largest city in Gujarat state and its urbanisation will stretch from Kosamba in north to Billimora in south. Surat is a port city situated on the banks of the Tapti river (damming of the Tapti caused the original port facilities to close, the nearest port is now in the Magadalla & Hazira area of Surat Metropolitan Region Surat Metropolitan Region). The city is located at
Surat is Gujarat’s second largest city, and India’s eight most populated city (in terms of Population in Municipal Corporation area of the City) with a population of 4.5 million. The city registered an annualized GDP growth rate of 11.5 per cent over the seven fiscal years between 2001 and 2008.
Surat is known for its Surati cuisine, which includes perennial favourites such as “Ghari” (a type of sweet), Locho, Undhiyu, Rasaawala Khaman, and Surati Chinese. Unlike cuisines in other parts of Gujarat, Surti cuisine is quite spicy. Roadside kiosks, called “laaris” or “rekdis”, are quite popular in Surat. In the cooler winter months, Suratis converge at river Tapi’s banks to eat Ponk, a roasted cereal that is available only in this part of the world.
Surat is known for producing world-class synthetic textiles. It is considered the textile capital of India, for its embroidery and ‘jari’ work.
Surat is mentioned in the Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, when Lord Krishna stopped there en route from Mathura to Dwarka. According to other later Sanskrit records, the area was ruled by the Western Chalukyas in 610 CE, and continued to be ruled by Hindu kings until it was captured by one of the generals of Qu?buddin Aibak. The Parsis started to settle there from the 8th century onward, and added greatly to its prosperity, with there having been a thriving sea trade between Iran and Gujarat, owing to the famous Silk Route.
Surat is represented in Lok Sabha by two parliamentary constituencies, Surat and Navsari and it in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly by 12 Vidhan Sabha constituencies.
Surat is the home of Shree V. T. Choksi Suryapur Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, located in Amliran near the Kavi Narmad Chaklo.
Surat railway station is under the administrative control of the Mumbai Division, Western Railway zone of the Indian Railways. Erection of Surat Railway Station was begun in 1860 AD. It connects Surat with Mumbai, Varanasi, Delhi,Ujjain, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Indore, Jaipur, Jabalpur, Satna, Patna, Bhopal and other cities of North India. There is also a connection to the Central Railway zone through Udhana Railway Junction and the Tapti line which connects Surat with cities of central & east India namely Jalgaon, Amravati, Nagpur, Durg, Raipur and Kolkata. Passenger trains range from local trains that stop at all stations on the way to express trains like the August Kranti Rajdhani Express and the Mumbai Rajdhani Express. In addition, there are freight trains that move the goods produced by the city to the rest of the country and beyond, and bring supplies into the city. Surat Railway Station which was built by the British is one of its kind in India, as the railway platform is on the first floor of the railway station and the train reaches the platform through an inclined ramp.
Surat ranked 8th in India with GDP of $40 billion in the Fin Year 2011-12, which was $14 billion in 2010. The per capita GDP which was $8000 in 2010. Surat is known for diamonds, textiles and recently for diamond-studded gold jewelry manufacturing. Surat registered GDP of 11.5% for seven fiscal years from 2001-2008 which was the Fastest growing GDP in India. The city accounts for:
Surat sets a good example to other cities in terms of basic urban infrastructure along with externally visible beautification. Surat has a computerised water distribution system and a computerised drainage system with a sewage treatment plant to transform waste into energy. It has one of the best water treatment plants in India. Every part of Surat has underground drainage and street lights. PNG (Pipelined Natural Gas) entered Surat in the early ’90s and most of the areas are covered under PNG, while other metropolitan cities only started this after 2010. CNG entered Surat in the early ’90s and more than 95% of auto rickshaws and public buses run on CNG as an efficient and less polluting fuel at the end of 2005. Several government and private run hospitals are there in Surat to provide medical assistance to the citizens and the visitors. The authority has stressed on eGovernance to bring speed to the overall administration works.
Surat was sacked again by Shivaji in 1670 when it was under Mughal Empire. By 1687, the English 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.
Surat was the primary port of India during the Mughal period, a distinction it lost to Bombay during the late 17th century as the East India Company grew.
The 280 square feet video wall, claimed to be the largest surveillance screen in the country, is being installed at the control room of police commissioner Mr. Rakesh Asthana (IPS). This will help the police view the entire city live through 100 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 city’s businessmen, city’s social persons, Surat Municipal Corporation & Surat City Police.
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 the 15th century. It houses some extremely rare paintings of the Jain monk Acharya Hemachandra, and of the Solanki King Kumarpal.
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 maximising exports to increase revenue and hence increase savings which led to investment in the diamond industry.
The city has two medical colleges – “Government Medical College and New Civil Hospital” and “SMIMER”, both awarding the degrees of MBBS and MD, MS. The city also holds one Ayurvedic college namely “Shri O.H.Nazar Ayurvedic College and Hospital”, awarding BAMS degree, affiliated to Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar, Gujarat, India. C. D. Pachchigar Homoeopathic (Homeopathic) Medical College and The Sarvajanik College of Physiotherapy at Rampura offer courses in Homoeopathy and Physiotherapy respectively.
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 an outstanding monument.
The Golden Quadrilateral highway system passes through Surat. The city is connected to the National Highway 8 through a 16 km connector highway. National highway 6, also known as Surat – Kolkata Highway, starts from Hazira and passes through Surat city and connects the city to Dhule, Amravati, Nagpur, Raipur, Sambalpur, Kharagpur and Calcutta. The National Highway 228, also known as Dandi Heritage highway, starts from Sabarmati in Ahmedabad and passes through Anand, Kheda, Ankleshwar and passes through Surat city to Navsari and ends up in Dandi. Many important State Highways are passing by Surat.
The IDI-Indian Diamond Institute established in 1978 is the most coveted institute in the field of diamonds, gems and jewellery in India is a state-of-art school of learning, everything within the campus, under one roof. The IDI is ISO 9001:2008 certified for Design Development and provision of Training, Consultancy and Certification services related to diamonds, colored stones and jewellery.
The prosperity of Surat received a fatal blow when Surat was ceded to the English as part of the dowry for Catherine of Braganza’s wedding to Charles II in 1662. Shortly afterwards, in 1668, the East India Company established a factory in Bombay (Mumbai) and Surat began its relative decline concurrent with the rise of British interests in Bombay.
The Sardar Patel Museum – Established in 1898, and originally called the Winchester Museum;, this museum has a collection of over 10,000 specimens of arts and crafts, now in the new Science Center campus on Citylight road.
The Surat Fort – The Old Fort was built by Britishers in the 1616 to fortify the defence against the Bhils. It is now used for municipal offices.
The Surat Municipal Corporation is responsible for the maintaining city’s civic infrastructure as well as carrying out associated administrative duties. At present, BJP is the ruling party with majority. Surat Municipal Corporation is considered to be one of the wealthiest municipal corporations in India.
There are a few other engineering colleges in Surat, namely Dr. S. & S. S. Ghandhy Government Engineering College, Surat (GEC)- Dr. S. & S. S. Ghandhy College of Engineering & Technology Campus(Estd. 1955-Diploma wing), Sarvajanik College of Engineering and Technology (SCET), C K Pithawala College of Engineering and Technology (CKPCET), Bhagwan Mahavir College of Engineering and Technology. These colleges teaching Diploma, Degree, PG courses in various fields of Engineering.
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.
Under the 10+2+3 format, students attend primary and secondary schooling during the first ten years and then may complete two years of higher secondary education, followed by three years at college for commerce, arts or science degrees. Generally, engineering degree courses take four years, while medicine takes about five and half years or more. Most colleges in the city are affiliated with the Veer Narmad South Gujarat University. SVNIT is Deemed University, Auro University has also started to provide education in Surat. Uka Tarsadia University is providing Engineering, Pharmacy, Education, Medical in neighbor town Bardoli.
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 Beach 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. Ring Road, Surat
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 220 billion 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.
Wilson Hills, Gujarat is a hill station in the Sahyadri ranges of Valsad district near Dharampur at an altitude of 850 meters (2700 feet) above sea level. The nearest hill station of Surat. It enjoys a cool and a serene climate throughout the year. It is only 120 km from Surat.
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