A city and port in Gujarat State of western India, Surat lies along the Gulf of Khambhat near the mouth of the Tapti River.
It is a centre for inlaid work and for the manufacture of carpets, textiles, gold and silver thread, paper, and soap. The city was the primary seaport and commercial center of India during the reign of the Mughals.
It flourished until the 19th century when most of its commerce was sidetracked to Bombay, which offered better harbor facilities.
Also, the first English factory in India was established here in 1612 by the East India Company. Surat became the seat of the British government until 1687. Its importance waned around the 1790s when its population apparently reached a whopping 800,000 but was revived around the 19th century. Even with the diversion to Bombay, Surat remains rich.
It is flooded with business and industries and is a city of peace and maximum affluence. Though thousands fled from the city in 1994 due to pneumonic plague outbreak, it was recently selected as one of the cleanest city in the country.
There is a very little necessity to introduce about Surat for this is the place where Parsis first settled in the 12th century. Surat is located on the bank of the river Tapti and there are number of beaches near Surat. Surat gained its identity as a historical city from the time immemorial. Dandi is a place located on the coast of the Arabian Sea and it is the place where Mahatma Gandhi started Satyagraha Movement which is one of the major events of India’s struggle for Independence.
|
