Surat Tourism in Gujarat
Surat is the commercial capital city of India located in the Surat District of Gujarat. Popularly referred to as the Silk City and the Diamond City, Surat is the second largest city in Gujarat and the ninth largest city of India. Known also as the textile capital of India, Surat is renowned for its gem industry, wherein, as per recent estimates, around 92% of the world’s gems are cut.
Surat is the commercial hub of Gujarat situated on the banks of River Tapti. Surat is an ancient place with a rich repository of heritage, where, as per legends, Lord Krishna stayed during his journey from Mathura to Dwaraka. The earlier Sanskrit records states that Western Chalukyas ruled Surat during 610 AD until it was captured and annexed to the Kingdom of Quṭbuddīn Aibak. Gujarat rose to become a prominent trade port during the reign of Mughals. The Parsis settled in the city during the 12th century. The city flourished well due to its trade relations during the 17th and 18th centuries. It also became a major trade centre for the Dutch and the Portuguese.
The major tourist attraction of Surat is the Surat Castle (Surat Old Fort) which was built by Muhammad Tughlak in the 14th century as a defence fortification against the Bhils. Dandi is a famous salt centre and another historic destination in Gujarat well known for the ‘Dandi March Salt Satyagraha’, launched by Gandhiji in the year 1930. Surat also offers tourist spots such as Sardar Patel Museum and Planetarium, textile market, Choppati, Chintanamani Jain Temple, Ambika Niketan Temple and Swaminarayan Temple. Other major tourist attractions around Surat are Bardoli (34 km), Ukai or Vallabh Sagar Dam (94 km), Vansda National Park (120 km) Daman (110 km) and Saputara Hill Station. Surat also offers serene sandy beaches such as Hajira Beach (28 km), Tithal (108 km), Dumas (18 km) Suvali Beach (20 km) and Ubharat (42 km) to its visitors.
Surat lies at an average elevation of 13 meters above the sea level. Surat has a tropical savanna climate with an average maximum temperature of 40°C in the summer and 23°C in the winter. The peak tourist season in Surat is from October to March, owing to its pleasant climate.
Surat is well connected to all the major destinations in India through rails and roads. The nearest airport to Surat is situated at Vadodara and it is operated by the leading Indian airlines.
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