The story of Surat
Surat sits on the banks of the Tapi river in south Gujarat, a short hop from the Arabian Sea. Once called Suryapur — the city of the sun — it grew into one of the most important ports of the Mughal Empire, the place from which Hajj pilgrims once set sail for Mecca.
It was here, in 1613, that the British East India Company opened its very first trading post in India. Dutch, Portuguese, French and Armenian merchants all left their mark — you can still find their cemeteries and havelis in the old city.
Today Surat polishes around 90% of the world's diamonds and weaves a huge share of India's man-made fabric and sarees. It's repeatedly ranked among the cleanest and fastest-growing cities on earth — and in 2023 it opened the Surat Diamond Bourse, the largest office building in the world.
Fast facts
- Old name
- Suryapur (City of the Sun)
- River
- Tapi (Tapti)
- State
- Gujarat · South Gujarat
- Known as
- Diamond City · Silk City
- Diamonds polished here
- ~90% of the world's
- Language
- Gujarati, Hindi (Surti dialect)
- Nearest beach
- Dumas (~16 km)
- Airport
- Surat Int'l (STV), Magdalla
- First in India
- British East India Co. post, 1613
- World record
- Surat Diamond Bourse (2023)