Situated on the banks of river Tapi, it was a great port city during the Mughal region. Since the earliest times, the ancient port of Surat has been renowned for its fine silks and exquisite brocades and its trade in spices. Surat has been one of the most prosperous of India’s cities in the 17^th and 18^th centuries. The East India Company established its first warehouses in Surat in 1612. And it was at Surat that Sir Thomas Roe landed when he came as King James Ambassador to the Court of the Emperor Jehangir. In Mughal times, Surat was the main port from which pilgrims sailed to Mecca. Today, Surat is a major industrial centre with many textile mills. It is also an important diamond-cutting centre too.

Places of Interest

The Old Fort
Built by Muhammad Tughlak in the 14^th century as a defence fortification against the Bhils.

Dumas
A seaside health resort 16 Kms. from Surat.

Hajira
It is situated 28 kms. from Surat. The pleasant Hajira beach is fringed by feathery casurina trees and has a comfortable holiday home for visitors.

Ubharat
It is situated 42 Kms. from Surat. Ubharat is known for a fine, sandy beach with a backdrop of shady palm groves.

Tithal
It is situated 108 Kms. from Surat and 5 Kms. from Valsad on the Bombay-Vadodara Western Railway. A beautiful sandy beach and palm-sheltered cottages is what you would get to see there.

Bardoli
It is situated 34 Kms. from Surat. Gandhiji had launched farmers’ satyagrah, known as the Bardoli satyagrah in 1921 -22 under the leadership of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Swaraj Ashram at Bardoli has become a place of pilgrimage in India.

Ukai
It is situated 94 Kms from Surat. A major multipurpose irrigation project of Gujarat. The storage of water at the dam site is nearly as large as that of Bhakra Nangal dam in Punjab.

Bulsar
The Vansada National Park is situated in Bulsar District. Wild animals such as Leopards, Tigers, Panthers and Wild boars are found here.

How to get there
Air Various domestic airlines connecting Bombay, Bhavnagar.

Rail Surat is on the Bombay - Delhi - Ahmedabad broad gauge line.

Road State transport buses and private luxury coaches connects various centres of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan. Surat is 262 Kms. from Bombay, 129 Kms. from Vadodara & 230 Kms. from Ahmedabad.