Surat
| Surat સુરત | |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan City | |
 | |
| Nickname(s): Diamond City, Textile City, Flyover City | |
  Surat | |
| Coordinates: 21°10′N 72°50′E / 21.17°N 72.83°ECoordinates: 21°10′N 72°50′E / 21.17°N 72.83°E | |
| Country | India |
| State | Gujarat |
| District | Surat |
| Zone | 7 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–Council |
| • Body | Surat Municipal Corporation & SUDA |
| • Mayor | Niranjan Zanzmera |
| • Municipal Commissioner | Manoj Kumar Das,kaifi azam |
| • Police Commissioner | Rakesh Asthana |
| Area | |
| • Metropolitan City | 326.515 km2 (126.068 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 13 m (43 ft) |
| Population (2013)[1] | |
| • Metropolitan City | 7,573,733 |
| • Rank | 8th |
| • Metro[2] | 4,591,246 |
| • Metro rank | 9th |
| Demonym | Surti |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Pincode(s) | 395 0XX & 394 XXX |
| Area code(s) | 91-261-XXX-XXXX |
| Vehicle registration | GJ-05 & GJ-28 |
| Coastline | 35 kilometres (22 mi) |
| Literacy | 86.65%[3] |
| Spoken languages | Gujarati, Hindi, English |
| HDI | High |
| Website | www.suratmunicipal.gov.in |
Surat, previously known as Suryapur, is a city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is also administrative capital of the Surat district. The city is located 306 km south of the state capital, Gandhinagar, and is situated on the left bank of the Tapti River (Tapi), the center being around 22 km (14 mi) from the river's mouth.[4]
Surat is Gujarat's second largest city and India's eighth most populated city (in terms of population living in the Municipal Corporation area), 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.[5]
A moat divides the older parts of the city, with its narrow streets and handsome historical houses, from the newer suburbs. The city is largely recognized for its textile and diamond businesses. It is also known as the diamond capital of the world and the textile capital/Manchester textile city of India, a distinction it took over from Ahmedabad. 92% of the world's diamonds are cut and polished in Surat.[6]
History
Surat is mentioned in the Sanskrit epic, the Mahābhārata, when Lord Krishna stopped there en route from Mathura to Dwarka. According to other later Sanskrit records, the area was ruled by the qutbuddin in 610 CE, and continued to be ruled by Hindu kings until it was captured by one of the generals of Quṭbuddīn Aibak about 1210 CE. 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.
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 Suryapūr (City of the Sun). Great Kavi Narmad was also born in Surat.
In the early centuries during the reign of a Maratha King, the port of Surat was used as the gateway to Mecca for pilgrims of the Hajj from India's interior regions. Both the Makkai Pul and the Mughal Sarai guest house for hajjis (pilgrims) are indicators of this historical function.
In 1512 and 1530 Surat was burned and ravaged by the Portuguese Empire who were trying to maintain influence in the area. In 1513, the Portuguese traveller Duarte Barbosa described Surat as an important seaport, frequented by many ships from Malabar and various parts of the world. By 1520, the name of the city was Surat.[7]
During the reigns of the Mughal emperors AkbarJahāngīr and Shāh Jahān, Surat rose to become a chief commercial city of India, and an imperial mint was established there. When harbor in Khambhat began to silt up toward the end of fifteenth century, Surat eclipsed that city as the major port of western India. At the end of the 16th century, the Portuguese were undisputed masters of the Surat sea trade. There still is a picturesque fortress on the banks of the river built in 1540.
In 1608, ships from the English East India Company started docking in Surat, using it as a trade and transit point. In 1615, following the Battle of Swally, Captain Best, followed by Captain Downton, overcame Portuguese naval supremacy and obtained an imperial firman establishing an English factory at Surat. The city was made the seat of a presidency of the East India Company after the success of the embassy God of Wealth. In 1664 the Maratha King Shree Chhatrapati Shivaji attacked Surat, a key Mughal power centre and a wealthy port town, which generated a million rupees in taxes. When Shivaji arrived in Surat, he demanded tribute from the Mughal commander of the army stationed for port security. The tribute was refused and, instead of battling the Marathas, the Mughal commander (stationed at the Surat fort) sent an emissary to assassinate Shivaji, but in vain. Shivaji conquered the city, and forces under his command exacted their revenge. Shivaji's army sacked Surat for nearly 3 days, looting both the Mughal and Portuguese trading centres.
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.[6]
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.
Surat was again sacked by Shivaji in 1670 when it was under Mughal rule. 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 re-took control of Surat in 1759 and assumed all government powers of the city in 1800.
In 1730, Baghdadi Jewish Joseph Semah arrived from Baghdad to Surat and set up the Surat Synagogue and Cemetery here. The Synagogue is now demolished but the cemetery still is on the Katargam-Amroli main Road. The Jewish community had strong business ethics, and excelled in their professional trade. After a few years they moved to Mumbai, Kolkata and Pune, and have since then made a great overall contribution to India.
The city of Surat 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 city's wealthiest and most powerful family; they were also heavily involved in the development of the city by focusing on maximising exports to increase revenue and hence savings which led to investment in the diamond industry.
A fire and a flood in 1837 destroyed many of the buildings of Surat. Among the interesting monuments that survived the destruction are the tombs of English and Dutch merchants and their families, dating to the 17th century, including those of the Oxenden brothers.
By the early 20th century, the population had slowly climbed to 119,306 and Surat was again a center of trade and manufacturing, although some of its former industries, such as shipbuilding, were extinct. There were cotton mills, factories for ginning and pressing cotton, rice-cleaning mills, and paper mills. Fine cotton goods were woven on hand-looms, and there were special manufactures of silk brocade and gold embroidery (known as Jari). The chief trades were organised in guilds. Manufacturing and trading brought an eclectic mix of ethnicity to the city, making Surat's culture unique.
In 1992, violent riots took place between Hindus and Muslims, the first and the worst of their kind in the modern history of Surat. In 1994, a combination of heavy rains and blocked drains led to flooding in the city. A number of dead street animals and public waste were not removed in time and a plague epidemic spread through the city, which caused a number of countries to impose travel and trade sanctions. The municipal commissioner during that time, S. R. Rao, and the people of Surat worked hard in the late 1990s to clean the city.
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 Mughal emperors, who governed the Manikpur district.
Geography
Surat is growing as quickly 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 the north to Billimora in the 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 and Hazira area of Surat Metropolitan Region). The city is located at 21°10′N 72°50′E / 21.17°N 72.83°E.[8] It has an average elevation of 13 meters. The Surat district is surrounded by the Bharuch, Narmada (North), Navsari and Dang (South) districts. To the west is the Gulf of Cambay. The climate is tropical and monsoon rainfall is abundant (about 2,500 mm a year).
Surat has grown in area since the early 1700s. The oldest part of the city developed in the area between the train station and the area known as Athwalines. Since the 1970s most of the new development, including the most desirable location for the city's burgeoning middle and upper class, is the area between Athwalines and the coast at Dumas.
Climate
Surat has a tropical 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.
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.[9]
| Climate data for Surat, Gujarat (1932–1980) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 37.8 (100) |
39.4 (102.9) |
43.3 (109.9) |
45.0 (113) |
45.0 (113) |
45.6 (114.1) |
38.9 (102) |
37.2 (99) |
38.9 (102) |
41.1 (106) |
38.9 (102) |
36.7 (98.1) |
45.6 (114.1) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 30.6 (87.1) |
33.3 (91.9) |
36.7 (98.1) |
39.4 (102.9) |
40.6 (105.1) |
35.0 (95) |
31.7 (89.1) |
31.7 (89.1) |
31.7 (89.1) |
32.8 (91) |
30.6 (87.1) |
29.4 (84.9) |
33.6 (92.5) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 15.6 (60.1) |
17.8 (64) |
21.1 (70) |
24.4 (75.9) |
25.0 (77) |
23.3 (73.9) |
22.2 (72) |
21.7 (71.1) |
21.7 (71.1) |
20.6 (69.1) |
17.2 (63) |
15.0 (59) |
20.5 (68.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 4.4 (39.9) |
5.6 (42.1) |
10.6 (51.1) |
15.0 (59) |
19.4 (66.9) |
21.7 (71.1) |
20.6 (69.1) |
21.1 (70) |
20.6 (69.1) |
14.4 (57.9) |
10.6 (51.1) |
6.7 (44.1) |
4.4 (39.9) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 3.0 (0.118) |
3.0 (0.118) |
2.0 (0.079) |
2.0 (0.079) |
5.0 (0.197) |
218.0 (8.583) |
442.0 (17.402) |
192.0 (7.559) |
150.0 (5.906) |
38.0 (1.496) |
8.0 (0.315) |
3.0 (0.118) |
1,065 (41.929) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 279.0 | 282.4 | 279.0 | 300.0 | 310.0 | 210.0 | 124.0 | 93.0 | 210.0 | 279.0 | 270.0 | 279.0 | 2,915.4 |
| Source #1: Sistema de Clasificación Bioclimática Mundial[10] | |||||||||||||
| Source #2: World Climate Guide (sunshine only)[11] | |||||||||||||
Economy
Surat ranked 8th in India with a GDP of $40 billion in fiscal year 2011-2012 ($14 billion in 2010). The per capita GDP was $8,000 in 2010. Surat is known for diamonds, textiles, and, more recently, for diamond-studded gold jewelry manufacturing. Surat registered a GDP of 11.5% for the seven fiscal years 2001-2008, the fastest growing GDP in India. The city accounts for:
- 90% of the world’s total rough diamond cutting and polishing;
- 99.99% of the nation’s total rough diamond cutting and polishing;
- 90% of the nation’s total diamond exports;
- 40% of the nation’s total man made fabric production;
- 28% of the nation’s total man made fibre production;
- 18% of the nation’s total man made fibre export; and
- 12% of the nation’s total fabric production.
Diamond polishing
Surat is famous for its diamond and textile industries. 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.
India imports for polishing about $11 billion worth of rough diamonds annually, with 80% coming from diamond mining companies and the rest from Antwerp. The price of diamonds had risen by 20% in 2013 due to rising rupee rates and EU sanctions on the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC), which produces roughly 25% of the world’s diamonds. This had caused medium and small diamond polishing units in Surat to stop buying diamonds. With the lifting of sanctions on ZMDC in September 2013, thousands of carats of diamonds from Antwerp will now be available to the diamond polishers in Surat, as an increased supply of diamonds will bring prices down due to competition. [12]
Textiles
Surat is known for producing silk as well as world-class textiles. Surat is the largest manufacturer of clothes in India, and Surti dress material can be found in any state of India.
Real estate
Surat has a booming real estate market due to its fast growing population, particularly a burgeoning middle class. The Surat Municipal Corporation has taken out various town planning schemes.
Government and politics
Surat is represented in Lok Sabha by two parliamentary constituencies, Surat and Navsari, and in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly by twelve Vidhan Sabha constituencies.
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 a majority. Surat Municipal Corporation is considered to be one of the wealthiest municipal corporations in India.
The Surat Municipal Corporation, 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.
General Board: The General Board is the supreme body of the Corporation constituted by elected members from each wards. Three members are elected from each ward, hence, the 38 wards are represented by a total of 114 councillors. One third of the seats are reserved for women. The term is for a five year duration after which elections are held once again.
Standing Committee: The Standing Committee is one of the twelve statutory committees and is one of the most powerful committees. It has the power to sanction and award major works of cost over Rs. Five lacs. It is also vested with financial powers.
Transportation
Air
Surat Airport has air direct connectivity with Delhi & Mumbai. Airlines companies such as Spicejet Airlines and Air India operates flights from Surat. Air India operates Delhi-Surat-Delhi and most of the time the occupancy is above 70%, Air India operates 5 Days a week(Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat), Spicejet Airlines operates Delhi-Surat-Mumbai-Surat-Delhi. 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.[13]
Rail
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, Udaipur, 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.
Road
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.[14] 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. 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.[15][16] Surat will have 94 flyovers till 2015 end.Till now 63 are constructed.
A new out ring road is planned to improve the road connectivity of the city and its constrauction is going to start very soon
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.
Surat is one of the most traffic breaker city in India as per survey by Aaj Tak in 2012. But to make the things right, traffic police has started issuing traffic tickets to the traffic rules offenders. The traffic police has started using the CCTV camera to monitor the traffic offenders and send them the ticket of penalty with their photograph showing the offense.
- Local transport
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.[17]
Infrastructure
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.[citation needed] 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. CNG entered Surat in the early '90s, and as of the end of 2005 more than 95% of auto rickshaws and public buses run on CNG as an efficient and less polluting fuel. There are several government- and private-run hospitals in Surat to provide medical assistance to citizens and visitors. The authority has stressed eGovernance to bring speed to the overall administration efforts.
Demographics
According to the 2011 India census, the population of Surat is 4,462,002. 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%.[18] Surat will be the most populous city in Gujarat by 2023 and Suart city's population is likely to grow at a rate of more than 60 per cent, and Since Surat's growth rate is above 60 per cent, it will continue growing faster than Ahmedabad's below 30 per cent population growth.[19] Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Gujarati, Sindhi, Hindi, Marwadi, Marathi, Telugu, and Oriya are the main languages spoken in Surat. In Surat, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age. Surat also has sizeable Parsi and Jewish populations.
Culture and festivals
Surat is known for its Surati cuisine, which includes perennial favourites such as "Ghari" (a type of sweet), Locho,Petis, 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.
All major Indian festivals are celebrated in Surat. Navratri, Diwali and Ganesh Chaturthi are celebrated with great enthusiasm. The kite-flying festival of Uttarayan which falls on Makar Sankranti – 14 On 15 January 'Vaasi Uttarayan' is celebrated,with great enthu by flying kite and shouting 'Kai Po Che'(I have cut).January – is very popular in the city. It is also well known for the celebration of Chandi Padvo which usually occurs around October and is a holiday unique to Surat. This day comes after one of the two biggest full moon days of the Hindu calendar year - Sharad Purnima where people of surat have Ghari and 'Bhusu'(A Surti Snack).
Education
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.
Al Jamea tus Saifiyah is an Islamic Arabic Academy situated in the heart of Surat city, with a sister campus in the northern foothills of Karachi, Pakistan and Nairobi, Kenya. It is a leading theological University for Dawoodi Bohras. It was founded in 1814 by the 43rd Dai Syedna Abdeali Saifuddin [R.A].
In 1920, Dawoodi Bohra's 51st Dai the late Dr Syedna Taher Saifuddin transformed this institution into a university that also promoted education for Bohra girls. Present Dai Dr Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin has expanded it with the state-of-the-art facilities including International Baccalaureate Office (IBO) which has acceptance worldwide.
Surat is home to the National Institute of Technology of Gujarat.The prestigious Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology (SVNIT). It is still known to local people as SVR which is a shortened form, from its earlier name SVRCET (Sardar Vallabhbhai Regional College of Engineering and Technology). It is one of the National Institutes of Technology, which are considered premier institutes for engineering and technology education in India. With its festivals (Mindbend and Sparsh to name few) throughout the year, the college maintains a vibrant atmosphere inside as well as outside the campus. The college is favourite destination for morning joggers of the city.[20]
Except for SVNIT which is a Deemed University,most of the colleges are affiliated to Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU) (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.
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 is the home of Shree V. T. Choksi Suryapur Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, located in Amliran near the Kavi Narmad Chaklo.
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),[21][22][23] Sarvajanik College of Engineering and Technology (SCET), C K Pithawala College of Engineering and Technology (CKPCET), Bhagwan Mahavir College of Engineering and Technology, Shree Swami Atmanand Saraswati Institute of Technology (SSASIT).[24] These colleges teaching Diploma, Degree, PG courses in various fields of Engineering.
The IDI-Indian Diamond Institute was established in 1978. It is the most coveted institute in the field of diamonds, gems and jewellery in India and is a state-of-art school of learning. 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 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 has 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.
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. Auro University has also started to provide education in Surat.[25] Uka Tarsadia University[26] is providing Engineering, Pharmacy, Education, Medical in neighbor town Bardoli.
A Parsi Theatre Academy is being opened in the Muglisara area of Surat, by Yezdi Karanjia, who has a long experience in staging Parsi plays. It is hoped that it will generate some interest among schoolgoers, and breath new cultural life into the dwindling community.[27]
Media
Gujarat Samachar, One of the oldest and most respected dailies of the country, is the most popular daily newspaper of Surat and South Gujarat. Besides Gujarat Samachar, other dailies include Gujarat Mitra Gujrat Darpan, Sandesh, Divya Bhaskar and Gujarat Guardian. Local editions of these newspapers are published in Gujarati. Lok Tej was the first Hindi daily published in Surat. Rajasthan Patrika and Savera are now the top Hindi daily newspapers in Surat. The national English dailies such as The Times of India, Indian Express and Mid Day are the most popular English-language newspapers. DNA-Daily News and Analysis is a new addition to the list of English dailies available in Surat. Many Marathi newspapers like Loksatta, Lokmat, Sakal, Samana are also available in Surat.
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 four private FM Radio stations – Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM, It's HOT!, Radio City 91.1, My FM 94.3, Big FM 92.7 along with the national radio 101.10 Vividh Bharati.
Places of interest
Blues Adventures – Blues Adventures is a complete recreational and adventure project aimed to offer water-sports Activities, Amusement Park and Restaurants for the people of Surat (Surtis). The Blues Adventures is located at the basin of River Tapti (Tapi) on the Singanpore side of Weir-cum-Causeway in the city of Surat, India. Blues Adventures was inaugurated in January 2013 by the gracious hands of Hon. Chief Minister of Gujarat Mr. Narendra Modi.
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.
Dutch Garden – The ancient Dutch gardens, the Dutch cemetery and Makaipul, the ancient original port from where the ships sailed to other parts of the world are other attractions.
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 Sardar Patel Museum – Established in 1998, 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.[28]
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.
Dumas Beach is a beach located along the Arabian Sea around 21 km South west of the City centre.
Vansda National Park – It is situated in the Navsari district.
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.
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.[29]
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[30] and an amphitheatre with seating capacity of 200.[31]
Public safety
The 280-square-foot 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. [32]
See also
Surat at Wikipedia books
References
- ↑ "Mid-Year Population Estimates". Surat Municipal Corporation. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
- ↑ "India: Major Agglomerations". Thomas Brinkhoff. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
- ↑ "Literacy Rates by Sext for State and District". 2011 census of India. Government of India. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
- ↑ "History of Surat".
- ↑ GDP growth: Surat fastest, Mumbai largest
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Adiga, Aravind (2004-04-12). "Uncommon Brilliance". Time Magazine. Archived from the original on 2010-01-16. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
- ↑ "Name of City". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
- ↑ "Location". Falling Rain. Retrieved 2009-11-06.
- ↑ "IIM-A Report on Flood". IIM-A. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
- ↑ "INDIA – SURAT". Centro de Investigaciones Fitosociológicas. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
- ↑ "Surat Climate Guide". World Climate Guide. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
- ↑ "Indian diamond industry upbeat as EU lifts sanctions on Zimbabwe diamonds'". Times of India. September 30, 2013. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
- ↑ "Surat airport: AAI asks govt for 864 ha". DNA. 28 Feb 2009. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
- ↑ "Next Best Cities Of India.Prashant Bavishi is leading businessman for Sari dying.". Business Today. Retrieved 2009-11-06.
- ↑ "Varachha flyover may not be the longest". The Times of India (India). 2004-01-30. Archived from the original on 2004-10-24. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
- ↑ "CM to inaugurate Varachha flyover". The Times of India (India). 2004-01-29. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
- ↑ Himansshu Bhatt, TNN Jul 25, 2012, 06.54AM IST (2012-07-25). "Surat Municipal Corporation confident of making metro rail project a reality by 2017-18". The Times of India. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
- ↑ Surat City Census 2011 data
- ↑
- ↑ SVNIT webpage. Archived 2009-06-03 at WebCite.
- ↑ Welcome to Dr. S. & S. S. Ghandhy College of Engineering & Technology
- ↑ Government Engineering College Surat - Placement Cell
- ↑ http://teb.gujarat.gov.in/inst_02.htm "http://gtuinfo.in/Engineering-Diploma/GTUCollegeDetail/612/Dr.S.and+S.S.Gandhi+college+of+Engg.+And+Technology,Surat.aspx"
- ↑ http://www.ssasit.org/app/default.aspx
- ↑ "AURO University – MBA, BBA, Hospitality Management Degree Programs, BBA+LLB, Bsc IT Courses In Surat Gujarat India". Aurouniversity.edu.in. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
- ↑ utu.ac.in/
- ↑ "Parsi Theater". Times of India (India). 11 February 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-11.
- ↑ Science Centre : Surat Municipal corporation
- ↑ "Dutch Governor's Tomb". British Library. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
- ↑ "Science Centre Surat". Surat Municipal Corporation.
- ↑ "Science Centre Surat, Amphitheatre". Surat Municipal Corporation.
- ↑ Business Standard (2013-01-19). "Surat to have new security system". Business Standard. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Surat. |
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Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Surat. |
- Website of Surat Municipal Corporation
- Science Centre, Surat
- Public Parks and Garden, Surat
- Nature Park and Zoo, Surat
- Municipal Commissioner, Surat
- Website of packers and movers in surat
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