City Asia
Surat
Surat is a city in India, on a river near the sea. People there cut and polish diamonds and make cloth.
Surat is a city in Gujarat, in western India, on the Tapi River not far from the Arabian Sea. It was once a busy trading port, and today it is known for cutting diamonds and making cloth. India's 2011 census counted 4,466,826 people in the city.
Surat, in Gujarat, lies on the Tapi (Tapti) River about 22 km upstream from the Arabian Sea (Surat Municipal Corporation), on the Gulf of Cambay (Larousse). Census 2011: 4,466,826 in the Surat Municipal Corporation, Gujarat's second city by area and population.
Photo: Hemant meena, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discover Surat
Surat is a city in India. It is in the state of Gujarat, beside a river called the Tapi.
More than four million people lived there at the 2011 census.
Surat is a port city in Gujarat, a state in western India, Larousse says. The city's own government, the Surat Municipal Corporation, says it is the second city of Gujarat by area and by population, and that its nicknames include 'the Silk City' and 'the Diamond City'.
India's census of 2011 counted 4,466,826 people in the city.
Larousse: Surat, a port of India (Gujarat) on the Gulf of Cambay. Surat Municipal Corporation: the second city of Gujarat in terms of area and population; also called 'the Silk City', 'the Diamond City' and 'the Green City'; area 461.60 km²; census 2011: 4,466,826; the same census counted 4,645,384 within the larger city limits set on 18 June 2020 (two municipalities and 27 villages added), 10,052 people per km²; the corporation's estimate for 2025 is 8,602,322.
- Country
- India (state of Gujarat)
- People in the city (census 2011)
- 4,466,826 (Surat Municipal Corporation)
- Rank
- second city of Gujarat by area and population (Surat Municipal Corporation)
- City area
- 461.60 km² (Surat Municipal Corporation)
Lights over the city
In this photo it is night in Surat. Lights shine in the windows of many buildings, and street lights glow below.
This photo shows Surat at night, looking out over rooftops. Lights shine from the windows of rows of buildings, and street lights glow below.
Larousse lists the city's 16th-century ramparts and its citadel among its old buildings. Surat Castle stands about 2.5 kilometers west-southwest of the city's center point.
Commons: 'Surat at night', own work by Hemant meena (uploader Hemantisbest), CC BY-SA 3.0, uploaded 5 June 2013; the description reads 'Arial view of the city'; the camera's clock says 09:02, which does not fit a night scene, so no date is given here; the file has no camera location.
Larousse: 16th-century ramparts and a citadel; a museum. Wikidata: Surat Castle (Q28153959), a castle, inception 1540, 2.50 km WSW of the city point.
- Photo
- Surat at night, by Hemant meena (uploaded to Wikimedia Commons in 2013)
- Old buildings
- 16th-century ramparts and a citadel (Larousse)
- Surat Castle
- a castle about 2.5 km west-southwest of the city's Wikidata point; Wikidata gives 1540 as its start (Wikidata)
A port for traders
Long ago, ships and traders came to Surat from faraway lands. It was a busy port.
India's tourism website, Incredible India, says Surat grew into a port and a center for sea trade along the Arabian Sea coast. In the medieval period, merchants came from Europe, Africa, Arabia and Southeast Asia, and the city's cloth industry boomed during the Mughal era.
The Surat Municipal Corporation says the Dutch and the Portuguese set up business centers in Surat, and that some of their remains are still kept today.
Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism): Surat became a bustling port and a hub for maritime trade along the Arabian Sea coast; in the medieval period a major center of global trade, drawing merchants from Europe, Africa, Arabia and Southeast Asia; the textile industry boomed in the Mughal era; 'Gateway to the World'. Surat Municipal Corporation: the Dutch and the Portuguese established business centers in Surat, whose remnants are still preserved; in the past, it says, ships of more than 84 countries were anchored in its harbor at any time. Larousse: 16th-century ramparts and a citadel.
- Port
- a hub for sea trade along the coast of the Arabian Sea (Incredible India)
- Traders
- merchants from Europe, Africa, Arabia and Southeast Asia came in the medieval period (Incredible India)
- Business centers
- the Dutch and the Portuguese set up business centers; some remains are still kept (Surat Municipal Corporation)
River, sea and railway
A river called the Tapi flows through Surat to the sea. Trains run to Surat from Ahmedabad and Mumbai.
The Surat Municipal Corporation says the city stands on the Tapi River (also spelled Tapti), which flows all year into the Arabian Sea. The sea is about 22 kilometers away along the river, or about 16 kilometers by road.
Surat lies between Ahmedabad and Mumbai: 230 kilometers from Ahmedabad and 258 kilometers from Mumbai. Frequent trains come from both, and National Highway 48 passes within 16 kilometers of the city's boundary.
Surat Municipal Corporation ('Linkages'): on the bank of the perennial river Tapti, which flows into the Arabian Sea; the sea lies about 22 km away along the Tapi and about 16 km by road; on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor, 230 km from Ahmedabad and 258 km from Mumbai; National Highway 48, which the page calls one of the busiest interstate trunk routes in the country, passes within 16 km of the SMC boundary; frequent trains from Ahmedabad and Mumbai. Wikidata: Surat railway station (Q1851275) 0.19 km NNE of the city point; Surat International Airport (Q2775871) 13.81 km SW.
- River
- the Tapi (Tapti), a river that flows all year (Surat Municipal Corporation)
- To the sea
- about 22 km along the Tapi, or about 16 km by road (Surat Municipal Corporation)
- Other cities
- 230 km from Ahmedabad and 258 km from Mumbai (Surat Municipal Corporation)
Dry winters, rainy monsoon
Surat is warm all year. Almost all of its rain falls in four months, from June to September.
The World Meteorological Organization's averages for Surat, from 1901 to 2000, show average daily highs above 30 °C in every month. April is the hottest month, with an average daily high of 37.2 °C, and January nights are the coolest, with an average low of 14.7 °C.
The rain comes in the monsoon. July is the wettest month, with 440.8 millimeters, while March has only 0.8. June to September bring 1,056.7 of the year's 1,117.2 millimeters.
WMO World Weather Information Service, Surat (India Meteorological Department; period 1901–2000 as given in the data): mean daily maximum 30.9 °C (Jan), 37.2 °C (Apr, highest), 30.4 °C (Aug, lowest); mean daily minimum 14.7 °C (Jan) to 26.7 °C (Jun). Precipitation 0.8 mm (Mar) to 440.8 mm (Jul); June 212.8, August 233.4, September 169.7; sum of the months 1,117.2 mm (June-September 1,056.7 mm, about 95%). No rain-day data. The Surat Municipal Corporation's weather page gives an average annual rainfall of 1,143 mm.
- Average daily highs (WMO, Surat, 1901–2000)
- 30.4 °C (August) to 37.2 °C (April)
- Average daily lows (same table)
- 14.7 °C (January) to 26.7 °C (June)
- Rain in a year (twelve months added up)
- about 1,117 mm, with 1,056.7 mm from June to September
Diamonds, cloth and kites
In Surat, people cut and polish diamonds so they sparkle. They also make silk and cotton cloth. At a festival called Uttarayan, people fly kites.
Incredible India calls Surat the 'Diamond Capital of the World' and says nearly 90% of the world's diamond cutting and polishing is done there; the industry has its roots in the 1960s. Larousse lists textiles, crafts and diamond cutting among the city's work.
Incredible India says traders around the globe have wanted Surat's silk and cotton cloth for centuries, and that today the city makes saris, dress materials and embroidered fabrics. Its food includes undhiyu, locho and ghari, and its festivals include Uttarayan, when people fly kites.
Incredible India: 'Diamond Capital of the World', responsible for nearly 90% of the world's diamond cutting and polishing (elsewhere on the same page: 90% of the world's rough diamonds are cut and polished in the city); diamond industry rooted in the 1960s; a centuries-old textile heritage of silk and cotton fabrics; saris, dress materials and embroidered fabrics; Surati undhiyu, locho, ghari and Surti sev khamani; the kite-flying festival of Uttarayan. Larousse: textiles, crafts, diamond cutting; a museum.
- Diamonds
- Incredible India says nearly 90% of the world's diamond cutting and polishing is done in Surat; the industry has its roots in the 1960s
- Cloth
- silk and cotton fabrics, saris, dress materials and embroidered fabrics (Incredible India)
- Food
- Surati undhiyu, locho and ghari (Incredible India)
Surat on the map
Find India on the globe. Surat is on its west side, near the sea.
Surat lies at about 21.2° north and 72.8° east, in the state of Gujarat in western India. Larousse places it on the Gulf of Cambay, and the Surat Municipal Corporation says the Arabian Sea lies to its west.
Measured from the city's center point on Wikidata, Surat railway station is about 0.2 kilometer north-northeast, Surat Castle about 2.5 kilometers west-southwest and Surat International Airport about 14 kilometers southwest.
Surat lies at about 21.20° N and 72.84° E (Wikidata point Q4629; the Natural Earth/sheet point is 0.4 km from it). From the Wikidata point: Surat railway station (Q1851275) 0.19 km NNE; Surat Castle (Q28153959) 2.50 km WSW; Surat International Airport (Q2775871) 13.81 km SW.
- Latitude
- about 21.2° north
- Longitude
- about 72.8° east
- Coast
- on the Gulf of Cambay (Larousse)
Amazing facts
-
Surat has a nickname: 'the Diamond City'!
The Surat Municipal Corporation says Surat is also called 'the Silk City', 'the Diamond City' and 'the Green City'.
Surat Municipal Corporation: other names for Surat include 'The Silk City', 'The Diamond City' and 'The Green City'.
-
In Surat, almost all the year's rain falls in just four months!
In the World Meteorological Organization's averages, June to September bring about 95% of Surat's yearly rain.
WMO normals for Surat (1901–2000): June-September 1,056.7 mm of the 1,117.2 mm sum of the months (about 95%).
-
In Surat, people fly kites at a festival called Uttarayan!
Incredible India names Uttarayan, a kite-flying festival, among Surat's celebrations.
Incredible India: the 'kite-flying extravaganza of Uttarayan' is among Surat's festivals.
Words to know
- port
- a town or city with a harbor where ships load and unload goods
- monsoon
- a season of winds that brings very heavy rain
- textile
- cloth, or anything woven or knitted from threads
- rampart
- a thick wall built around a town or fort to protect it
- citadel
- a fort that stands in or near a city
- census
- an official count of all the people in a country
Discovery challenge
-
Surat is a city in which country?
Surat is a city in which country?
Surat, Gujarat's second city, is in which country?
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
Show the answer
India
India!
India.
India (state of Gujarat).
-
Which river flows through Surat?
Surat stands on which river?
The Surat Municipal Corporation says the city stands on which perennial river?
- The Tapi
- The Ganges
- The Indus
Show the answer
The Tapi
The Tapi!
The Tapi River (also spelled Tapti).
The Tapi (Tapti), which flows into the Arabian Sea.
-
What do many people in Surat cut and polish?
Incredible India says Surat is the world capital for cutting and polishing what?
Incredible India says nearly 90% of the world's cutting and polishing of what is done in Surat?
- Diamonds
- Wood
- Glass
Show the answer
Diamonds
Diamonds!
Diamonds: the 'Diamond Capital of the World'.
Diamonds (an industry rooted in the 1960s).
-
Which month is the rainiest in Surat?
In the World Meteorological Organization's averages, which month gets the most rain in Surat?
WMO normals for Surat (1901–2000): which month has the most precipitation, 440.8 mm?
- July
- March
- December
Show the answer
July
July!
July.
July (440.8 mm).
-
What do people fly at Surat's Uttarayan festival?
At the festival of Uttarayan in Surat, what do people fly?
Incredible India describes Uttarayan in Surat as a festival of flying what?
- Kites
- Balloons
- Drones
Show the answer
Kites
Kites!
Kites.
Kites.
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For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Locate Surat in western India, on the Tapi River near the Arabian Sea.
- Explain how a river port can grow into a trading city.
- Read a monsoon climate table and find the wet and dry seasons.
- Describe how a city can be known for a craft, such as diamond cutting or weaving.
Recommended ages: 3 to 17 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- Why might traders from many lands have come to a port like Surat?
- What would it be like to live in a place where almost all the rain falls in four months?
- Why might a city become known for one kind of work?
Try at home or in class
- Rain bars: make a bar chart of Surat's monthly rain and color the four monsoon months.
- Kite craft: make a small paper kite and test it in a breeze.
- Map math: Surat is 230 km from Ahmedabad and 258 km from Mumbai. How far is it from one to the other through Surat?
Key vocabulary: port, monsoon, textile, rampart, citadel, census
Where these facts come from
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
- Natural Earth vector data , Natural Earth (NACIS) (Public domain)
- Surat , Encyclopédie Larousse
- Introduction (The City) , Surat Municipal Corporation
- Linkages (The City) , Surat Municipal Corporation
- Weather (The City) , Surat Municipal Corporation
- Surat Tourism , Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism, Government of India)
- Surat: climatological information (1901–2000) , World Meteorological Organization, World Weather Information Service
- File:Surat at night.JPG (Hemant meena) , Wikimedia Commons
- Wikimedia Commons , Wikimedia Foundation (Per file (public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA); see each media record)
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated November 1, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.