subject: Surat India [print this page] Surat is located on the bank of the Tapi River and surrounded by 4 districts, Baruch, Navsari, Narmada and dang and from the other side by the Gulf of Bombay. The city is one of the top 10 cities in India and second cleanest. It is the major industrial city and very important for the Indian economy because of its textile and diamond cutting industry. The infrastructure of this city is one of the best planned in India and it is very easy to reach Surat by road, train, plane or a boat which is also one of the main reasons for its economy growth. One more reason is distance from Mumbai and Ahmedabad which are metropolitan cities and also very important industrial cities in India.
Surat population is over 4.5 million and people come from all over India which is why you will find all religions in this city, from Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs to Christians. No matter their differences you will find them all enjoying in festivals together no matter the class or religion. People from Surat are well known by its friendliness, hospitality, humanity but also business skills. The majority in this city is Gujarati people.
Surat is a very old city and it is mentioned in the oldest books in India under name Suryapur. This city began its growth after Europeans arrived to trade in the 16th century and since then Surat is a very important port. The city is even mentioned in Mahabharata but the city as known today was established in the 15th century and the city was named Surat in 1520. Surat had an important role in the freedom movement before India became independent.
Temperature in Surat during the summer are very extreme and usually range from 40 C to 45 C while nights are quite pleasant. Winter temperature is nice and average temperature is 9 C which is why most tourists visit this city from October to April.
Diamond cutting industry is one of the two major industries in Surat and over 90% of all world's cut diamonds coming from Surat. Here you can find the best jewelry that not only follows tradition but also latest fashion trends. Textile industry is the second largest industry in Surat and especially synthetic textile production.
Textile from Surat is exported to Middle east mostly but also around the world and across India to all major textile markets. Surat is well know for its saree production and most beautiful sarees are made in this city. Most popular sarees are sarees with silver or gold embroidery work and such are mostly used for weddings. There is no woman in India that doesn't dream of having sarees from Surat in her collection.
Surati cuisine is very rich and offers a variety of dishes mostly made of fruit and vegetables which are easily available in this city because of its climate and much rain. Dishes are prepared on sesame oil which gives a unique and recognizable taste to Surati dishes. The most popular Surati dish across India is Srikhand and it is a sweet dish made of yogurt but they are also famous by its kadhis, farsans, theplas and ladoos.
