Monday, 05 October 2009 10:57

Udvada - Surat

About:

A visit to Tourism of Gujarat, an attendant visit to the city of Surat, located in Gujarat, India, offers travel related information that Surat, situated in Gujarat, India, is replete with an attendant paraphernalia of history and commercial feats. All this makes Surat, situated in Gujarat, India, a place worth more than a single visit. Tourism of Gujarat, takes the tourist on a journey across the travel destinations of Surat, located in Gujarat, India, such as the castle of Surat, built in the year 1546 A.D, along with many Hindu, Jain and Parsi temples and mosques which were built as the history marched along the landscape of Surat, located in Gujarat, India.

 

Udvada, near Surat is celebrated for being a very sacred place among the Parsis and is a small sleepy village which is located in the southern coast of Gujarat. It is as important to the Parsis as is Haridwar for the Hindus, Mecca for the Muslims and Vatican City for the Christians. A large number of Parsis flock here every year, both from within the country and from abroad. It was here that the victorious fire or Atash Behram was brought from Persia by the Parsis in the 18th century. This fire is placed in a temple which is strictly meant for the Parsis. As a result, the non-Parsis are not allowed to enter here. This place can be visited from outside. Peace and bliss pervades here that simply enthralls the visitors who come from far and wide.

Location info:

Address:Udvada,Gujrat,India
District: Surat
Nearest City: Mumbai
Best time to visit: Octobrt to March

Climate/Weather:

Summer - 42oC to 24oC, Winter - 31oC to 12oC

History:

Whenever one thinks of Udvada, one is sure to be reminded of the few remaining Zoroastrian community in the country, about their customs, their religion and of course their valiant history. The term `Parsi` is not a religious, but an ethnic group. It refers to the descendants of the original band of Persian refugees who fled from the Arab conquest of their homeland, and arrived on the shores of Gujarat during the 8th century A.D.

Interesting things to do:

Interesting things to Visit:

Dutch Garden:
The Dutch garden in Surat is essentially cemeteries of the officers who landed and settled in Gujarat on their business ventures. Dutch garden is one of the most significant gardens in Surat. Gardens in Surat have been expanding from time to time, under succeeding gardeners to its present state. The striking features of the English and Dutch cemeteries are their huge and imposing tombs. They tell the story of power and glory. Tombs of Christopher Oxenden and George Oxenden, two English traders who took charge of the English Factory in Surat, are the biggest ones in the English cemetery. The tomb of Baron Adrian Van Reede, who was director of the Dutch Company in India, stands out arrestingly in the Dutch cemetery.

 

Sardar Patel Museum:
The Sardar Patel Museum in Surat is a multipurpose museum which is located in Sonifalia. It plays host to several pieces of antiques such as that made of wood, metal, ivory, stone, sandalwood, porcelain and terracotta. Several old oil paintings, miniatures, textiles, manuscripts and many such other items are also displayed in the exhibition organized by this museum. This is the only museum in Surat that has gained a lot importance owing to its rich collection of ancient historical items that are important part of the national heritage too. One will come across 10, 000 specimen of the various arts and crafts at this place. There is also an open air theater which can accommodate about 4000 people at a time.



Dutch Garden:
One of the most important tourist attraction in Surat is the ancient Dutch garden. Actually it is the cemetery of the Dutch officers who had landed and settled in Gujarat for their business enterprise. The huge striking tombs here are splendid symbols of history and narrates the story of the erstwhile power and glory.

The tombs of Christopher Oxenden and George Oxenden, the two English traders, who were in charge of English factory in Surat are the biggest tombs in the cemetery. Another tomb that stands impressively in the garden is of Baron Adrian Van Reede, the director of the Dutch Company in India who had died in 1691. The well maintained cenotaphs and the pleasant garden area around, attracts a lot of tourists.

Rangupavan:
Rangupavan is an open-air amphitheater that is considered to be the biggest theater in the country which can accommodate about 4000 audiences at a time. Set amidst in a picturesque setting and spread across several acres of land, the theatre that overlooks a height of 18meters has a stage, which has the height of 10.5 meter. This theatre has been recently closed.

Dumas:
The renowned health resort, Dumas is located about 16 km away from Surat railway station. Overlooking the Arabian sea, this beautiful picnic spot has a sandy sea beach that attracts tourists. Cottages are available for accommodation purpose.

Hajira:
Situated 28 Kms. away from Surat, Hajira is another health resort on the creek of the Arabian sea. The Hajira beach, fringed by caserne trees is a popular hangout for the tourists and the local people alike has comfortable holiday homes. The place has two wells with full of water rich in iron and sulphur.

Chintanamani:
A 400 hundred year old wooden temple at Shahpor. Chintamani Jain Temple is considered as an outstanding example of craftsmanship and architecture in Gujarat. The temple boasts some of the rarest paintings of Jain preacher Acharya Hemchandra, Solanki King and King Kumarpala. The sandalwood replica of Chintamani Jain Temple is placed in London Museum 90 years ago.

Tapi River:
The Tapti River, ancient original name Tapi River is one of the major rivers of peninsular India with a length of around 724 km. It is one of only three rivers - the others being the Narmada River and the Mahi River that runs from east to west.

Choppati:
Choppati is a popular tourist destination of the city with a big beautiful garden. It is also a center for enjoying delicious Indian snacks like Paav Bhajee and Paani puri.

Mobile range info:

How to reach?

Nearest Railway Station:Udhava connect Mumbai railway line
Nearest Airport:Mumbai international airport
Road Transport:Surat is connected to various cities in Gujarat like Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Somnath and Vadodara.

Nearest Visiting places:

Sanjan:
Sanjan was one of the primary Parsi settlements in India. A number of excavations carried out in Surat's Sanjan have thrown a new light on the momentous episode of the flight of the Zoroastrians from Iran, about 1,400 years ago. According to the popular belief Surat's Sanjan was founded by the Zoroastrians who took shelter here after they were compelled to flee Iran. The progeny of those Zoroastrians are, at present, known as the Parsis.

 

Navsari:
A large number of tourists from the different places of the country come to have a look at Navsari close to Surat. Several people from the Parsi origin also come here to see this site as this was the first dwelling place of the Parsis who migrated to Gujarat. The excellence of the Parsi architecture can be well understood from the various edifices of this place that are built in the authentic Parsi style. The Parsi Vad is one such structure that has become a heritage site and attracts a lot of tourists. Being one of the important tourist attractions in Surat, Navsari is also popular for its various types of Zoroastrian arts, crafts, food items and many other such items.

Old Fort:
Surat Old Fort was built by Muhammad Tughlak in the 14th century to serve as the defense fortification against the Bhils. Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq was the original of the Tughlaqs to rule Delhi. Subsequent to Muhammad Sahab-ud-din Ghori, the next mention of Surat is in 1347 A.D., in connection with the rebellion of Gujarat during the time Surat was under Muhammad Tughlak (1325 to 1351). In 1373 A.D., the emperor Firoz Tughlak(1351 to 1388) is said to have built a fort at Surat to guard the town against Bhils attack who wanted to conquer the land.

Saputara:
This hill station is situated in Dang district at the southeast corner of the state. It has an altitude of 1000m. This place has the Sarpagana river flowing nearby which has a sacred snake image on its banks. Saputara -literally, the Abode of Serpents-is Gujarat's best-known hill resort, situated atop the second highest plateau in the Sahyadri range and in the midst of thick forests. Saputara is picture postcard perfect with lakes, streams, woodlands and hills.

Ukai:
It is situated 94 kms from Surat. A major multipurpose irrigation project of Gujarat, the storage of water at the dam site is almost as large as that of Bhakra Nangal Dam in Punjab .

Bardoli:
It is situated 34 kms from Surat. Gandhiji had launched a farmers' movement 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.

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

Dandi:
Situated on the coastline and well known as a salt centre, Dandi has acquired a name in history after the famous 'Dandi March Salt Satyagraha' launched by Gandhiji in March, 1930 AD. While overtly the Dandi march purported to protest against the hateful Salt Tax levied by the British, the underlying purpose was to kindle the spark of Civil Disobedience and thereby attain independence. On a warm April morning in 1930, Gandhi and his 78 followers marched 241 miles to Dandi and formally breached the Salt Law, an act that would go down in the annals of history as the first salvo to be fired against the British Empire.

Palitana:
Palitana houses perhaps the largest cluster of Jain temples anywhere. From the base to the peak of the Shatrunjaya Hill, where the Palitana temples are located, there are in all 863 temples. These temples were built in two phases-the 11th and 12th centuries as a part of the resurgence of temple building all over India, and in the 16th century. Some of the earliest temples built in the 11th century were destroyed by Muslim invaders in the 14th and 15th centuries. The current temples date back to 16th century onwards. Not any one person or group was responsible for the construction of these magnificent temples. It was the effort of the wealthy businessmen who were followers of Jainism that these buildings came into existence.

Narmada river:
The Narmada river originates from the Maikal ranges at Amarkantak, 1057 m above the sea-level, now in Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh. In its 1312 km long journey before joining the Arabian Sea, the Narmada flows through the three states of Madhya Pradesh (MP), Maharashtra and Gujarat. Nearly 90% of the flow is in MP, and most of the remaining is in Gujarat. It flows for a very brief stretch through Maharashtra.

Nearest Petrol Pump:

HP Petrol Pump:Valsad,Gujarat,India

Hotels/Lodge/Accommodation:

Paradise Hotel:Udvada,surat,Gujrat,India

 

Nosherwan Hotel:Udvada,surat,Gujrat,India

Things to carry:

Tips & Suggestions:

Help Line/Phone Number:

Police Station:100
Nearest Hospital:
Surat civil hospital:Surat,Gujarat,India
Parsi General Hospital:Surat,Gujarat,India,Ph:0261 2423922
Society/Community Phone Number:
Links:www.yreach.com

Video

Dynamic View

Old Fort Surat
Surat is famous for its monuments and the centuries old old fort that stands tall in the city.It was built by Muhammad bin Tughlak in the 14th century to guard the city from Bhils attack. Known as Muhammad Kunhi by birth, he was the most cruel and cold blooded sultan among the Mughal Emperors; but was very concerned about his men and brilliantly made this fort. The fort was invaded twice by the Maratha Emperor, Chhatrapati Shivaji. This exquisite architectural marvel with strong walls and iron bars is a place of worth a visit. The fort is now being used as the Municipal office of the city.....more
Navsari Nearest Surat
Navsari will be merged with its twin city of Surat under the Surat Metropolitan Region.The Surat Metropolitan area will be extended till Navsari. The state government wants to decongest and curb the haphazard development around the fastest growing city of Surat. For this, the ministry had sent a proposal to the CEPT University to prepare a project report titled regional planning strategy for Surat.The University, after a year long study and analysis, recently submitted a detailed report on the regionalisation of the city. Urban Development Minister Nitin Patel refused to comment, but K M Panchal, Chief Town Planning Officer in the Urban Development Ministry confirmed that he has received the report....more
Sardar Vallabhai Patel Museum
he Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Memorial is a museum and exhibition centre dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, an Indian independence activist and political leader, at the Moti Shahi Mahal, located in Shahibaug, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The Moti Shahi Mahal is surrounded by the Sardar Open Garden, where peacocks roam free and monkeys reside in the trees. The Sardar Open Air Theatre shows documentary films in the garden on occasion. Before the palace stands a statue of Patel. Four pillars mark the four wings, one floor and central hall of the palace.A major attraction of the Sardar Patel national memorial museum in Ahmedabad consists of the national flag that was designed by the Indian National Congress in 1930 -1931......more
Ukai Dam
Gujarat has around 21 large dams, among 541 Indian Dams. Ukai Dam near Surat is one of the major projects including Sardar Sarovar Dam. Only 5 projects of Gujarat are considered to be the prime sources of water across the state, namely the Dharoi, Dantiwada, Kadana, Ukai and Sardar Sarovar. These 5 Dams of Gujaratare also of national importance.The storage capacity of Ukai dam is almost 46% of the total capacity of all the other existing dams in Gujarat if put together. Thus it can be concluded that the rest of the dams have as little as 0.1% average storage capacity. Ukai Dam is thought to be the mega project in Gujarat. During last 40 years, the actual irrigation potential is attained through all the major and medium water resources projects.....more

 

Vansda National Park Navsari
The Vansda National Park at Navsari was established in 1979 in Navsari district of Gujarat. The Vansda National Park in Gujarat is spread over an area of 24 square kilometers, in the mountains of Western Ghats or Sahyadris. The Vansda National Park of Gujarat is extremely dense and harbors a wide variety of flora and fauna. The Vansda National Park is maintained by the government of Gujarat and a unique protected area of the state.The Vansda National Park in Gujarat has mainly moist deciduous and dry deciduous forest and bamboos, tall teak trees, orchids, mango groves and gigantic creepers are the predominant trees of the forest. At present the Vansda National Park at Gujarat has more than 250 species of plants including variety of rare wild animals....more
Dutch Gardens
Surat is a bustling port city sited in the state of Gujarat. A forerunner of India's industrial enterprises Surat is shrouded in history and myriads of reference of its former efflorescence can be found in the chronicles of the Mahabarata, the annals of the foreign travelers and the British and Dutch colonial powers. A beautiful relic of Surat glorious past are the magnificent and sprawling Dutch Gardens.The Dutch garden in Surat is essentially cemeteries of the officers who landed and settled in Gujarat on their business ventures. Dutch garden is one of the most significant gardens in Surat. Gardens in Surat have been expanding from time to time, under succeeding gardeners to its present state.....more
Tapi river
Tapti is a river of western India and the history of this river starts with its origin in the Betul district. It rises in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh and flows between two spurs of the Satpura Hills, across the plateau of Khandesh, and thence through the plain of Surat to the sea. It has a total length of around 724 km. and drains an area of 30,000 sq. m. For the last 32 m. of its course, it is a tidal flow, but is only navigable by vessels of small tonnage; and the port of Swally at its mouth. The history of this river is closely associated with the Anglo Portuguese history. The upper reaches of the river are now deserted, owing to silting at the outflow of the river. The waters of the Tapti are usually not used for irrigation.Tapi river is one of the major rivers in India. The total length of the Tapi river is approximately around 724 km. It flows in the central part of India.....more