West India · Gujarat
Surat, Gujarat
Sources: wikimedia
About Surat
- Riverside
Where it is
Surat is a major city in southern Gujarat on the banks of the Tapi River, close to where it flows into the Arabian Sea, between Vadodara and Mumbai.
History
Surat was one of Mughal India's busiest ports, and in 1612 the English set up their first trading factory in India here. The Maratha king Shivaji sacked the city twice, first in 1664, and in the 18th century much of its trade moved to Bombay. It later revived as a centre of textiles and, in the 20th century, of diamond cutting.
People
Surat's people speak Gujarati, often in the local Surti dialect, and the city's Hindu, Jain, Muslim and Parsi communities have long lived by trade. Its diamond and textile workshops draw workers from across India, and its street food is famous throughout Gujarat.
Known for
- Diamond cutting and polishing
- Textile markets and zari craft
- Surti food, from locho to undhiyu
- Dumas beach
- The old Surat Castle by the Tapi
Did you know?
About 90 per cent of the world's diamonds are cut and polished in Surat's workshops.
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