Surat

Surat is a city within the western Indian state of Gujarat. Nestling at the mouth of the Tapti River, it was an outsize seaport. It is now the economic and commercial center in South Gujarat and one of western India's most important urban areas. Surat has well-established textile and diamond industries and maybe a shopping mall for attire and accessories. It is the second-largest city in Gujarat after Ahmedabad and the eighth largest city by population, and the ninth-largest urban agglomeration in India. The place is the administrative capital of the Surat district. The city lies 284 kilometers (176 mi) south of the capital city, Gandhinagar, 289 kilometers north of Mumbai and 265 kilometers south of Ahmedabad. The city center is on the Tapti River, on the brink of the Arabian Sea.

According to the studies of the Economic Times, Surat will be the world's fastest-growing city from 2019 to 2035. Over the seven financial years between 2001 and 2008, the city recorded an annualized GDP growth rate of 11.5%. In 2013, the Annual Survey of India's City-System (ASICS) awarded Surat as the "Best City."

SURAT - SMART AND DIAMOND CITY

In addition, Surat is the first smart IT city in India, constituting the Microsoft CityNext Initiative having a knot with IT services majors Wipro and Tata Consultancy Services. 2.97 million people use the internet in the city, which is about 65% of the population. IBM Smarter Cities Challenge grant selected Surat in 2015. Twenty Indian cities came together for development as a sensible city under PM Narendra Modi's flagship Smart Cities Mission. Surat is listed because of the second cleanest city of India as of 21 August 2020, consistent with the Swachh Survekshan 2020 on 20 August. It suffered a severe pipeline fire which caused some damage.

Surat is famous as the Diamond City of India and hence known for its diamond cutting and polishing. The city has various engineering plants like Larsen and Toubro, Essar, and RIL. In 2019, Surat won the Netexplo Smart Cities Award with UNESCO within the resilience category. Surat's mayor will receive the award at the UNESCO House in Paris, France.

HISTORY OF THE CITY

It was the major prosperous port within the Mughal empire. Surat seemed like a typical "grubby" trader's town with mud-and-bamboo tenements and crooked streets despite being an upscale city. However, along the riverfront, a couple of mansions and warehouses belonged to local merchant princes and Dutch, Turkish, French, and Armenian English traders. What put travelers in the puzzle was hospitals for cows, horses, flies, and insects run by religious Jains. Some streets of the city are narrow, while others are of sufficient width.

In the evening, the place, especially near the Bazaar (marketplace), became crowded with merchants selling their goods and people. Surat was a populated city during the Mughal era and had a large transient population. It was an era when ships could come and go from the ports without danger during the monsoon season, the city's population would increase. The establishment of the first Indian trading factory was done by England in Surat. Maratha king Shibaji Maharaj looted the city twice, with the immediate sacking occurring in 1664. Shivaji's raids scared the trade away and caused ruin to the town.

Later, exporting gold and cloth, Surat became the emporium of India. Its major industries were textile and shipbuilding manufacture. From Athwalines to Dumas, the coast of the Tapti River was specially meant for shipbuilders, who were usually Rassis. The city continues to be prosperous until the increase of Bombay (present-day Mumbai). Afterward, Surat's industry declined, and the city itself gradually declined throughout the 18th century. During 1790–1791, a plague killed 100,000 Gujaratis in Surat. The Dutch and British both claimed control of the town, but in 1800, the British took control of Surat.

During the middle of the 19th century, with about 80,000 inhabitants, Surat had become a stagnant city. With Indian Railways opening, the city started becoming prosperous again. Objects of silver and gold, Brocades, Cotton, and Silks from Surat became famous, and therefore the ancient art of producing fine muslin was revived.

FOOD OF SURAT

Surat is famous for its food and has its own list of cherished street foods. There is a famous saying within the Gujarati language "સુરતનું જમણ અને કાશીનું મરણ," meaning dine in Surat and die in Kashi for the last word experience of the soul. The unique dishes of surat include Locho, Ghari (sweet), Surti Bhusu, Alupuri, Kavsa, Ponk, Undhiyu, Dhokla, Khaman, Sev Khamani, then forth.

Visit Khaudra Gali to see the people showering love for food in Surat. Further, Khaudra Gali means foodie's lane, which has all stalls of various dishes, the specialty being Mysore Dosa.

Accommodation Options

Surat being a famous tourist place With travelers coming in all through the year, there is no shortage of living options. You can stay put at the Orange Megastructure with all the luxury. There are plenty of budget hotels as well, like Central Beacon Hotel. You can search for cozy homestays to spend time with family.