The Chintamani Jain Temple The exquisite wooden carvings and paintings are the major attractions of the

e temple. The temple actively maintained and visited by the city's Jains is situated in the Shahpor area and dates back to 15 century and houses some extremely rare paintings of the Jain monk Acharya Hemachandra, and of the Solanki King Kumarpal. Any visit to the city would be incomplete without a visit here especially for Jains. Dutch Garden The ancient Dutch gardens, the Dutch cemetery and Makaipul, the ancient original port from where the ships sailed to other parts of the world are other attractions. "Suvali beach located near Hazira is a far away beach located in the remotest area of Surat." "Hazira beach at Hazira village." "Dandi beach at Dandi village." The Surat Fort The Old Fort was built by Britishers in the 1616 to fortify the defence against the Bhils. It is now used for municipal offices. The Sardar Patel Museum Established in 1898, and originally called the Winchester Museum;, this museum has a collection of over 10,000 specimens of arts and crafts, now in the new Science Center campus on Citylight road.[26] Gaurav Path A well planned and well-built 6 lane road to decongest the traffic in Piplod area of the city. Dotted with multiplexes, shopping malls, show-rooms and restaurants. This road connects the city to its airport and Port of Magdalla. Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology is also located on this road. Extending this road till Dumas is underway. Jawaharlal Nehru Garden Colloquially known as Chowpaty, this is the largest and one of the oldest gardens in the city. It houses a musical fountain as well. The adjoining area is one of the most famous eating spots with sequences of stalls serving Indian snacks along with Chinese and South Indian cuisines. Saputara is a hill station in the Sahyadri Hills only 170 km from Surat at an altitude of 1140 meters above sea level. Lying at a higher altitude Saputara has a cool climate. Wilson Hills, Gujarat is a hill station in the Sahyadri ranges of Valsad district near Dharampur at an altitude of 850 meters (2700 feet) above sea level. The nearest hill station of Surat. It enjoys a cool and a serene climate throughout the year. It is only 120 km from Surat. Vansda National Park It is situated in the Navsari district and is home to leopards, tigers, panthers, pythons and wild boars. The best time to visit is between July and January. Beaches There are a number of beaches near Surat. Only 16 km away, Dumas Beach is a popular resort with locals. Suvali is 28 km from the city and Ubhrat is 42 km out, while Tithal is 108 km away and only five km from Valsad on the Mumbai to Vadodara railway line. Suvali has two wells with water rich in iron and sulphur. Suvali beach is fringed by feathery casurina trees. Ring Road, Surat

Thirty-nine kilometres south of Surat, Navsari- The Twin city of Surat has been a headquarters for the Parsi community since the earliest days of their settlement in India. Udvada, only 10 km north of Vapi, the station for Daman, has the oldest Parsi sacred fire in India. It is said that the fire was brought from Persia to Diu, on the opposite coast of the Gulf of Cambay, in AD 700. Sanjan, in the extreme south of the state, is the small port where the Parsis first landed; a pillar marks the spot. The Dutch Cemetery Located near Kataragam Gate, this impressive mausoleum is that of Baron Hendrik Adriaan Van Rheede tot Drakenstein, who died in 1691. A massive Dome, beautiful pillars and the huge gallery make it a very outstanding monument.[27] Science Centre Developed by the Surat Municipal Corporation in City Light area, Science Centre currently comprises a dedicated section for science exhibits, planetarium, art gallery and a museum dedicated to the history of Surat. It also has an auditorium with a seating capacity of 240[28] and an amphitheatre with seating capacity of 200.[29] A dedicated gallery for Diamonds, Textile and Space are also proposed. The Ambaniketan temple- this temple is located on surat ring road it is a huge temple

Surat castle The Surat castle is one of the ancient monuments of 16th century existing in the city and bears a significant relevance to its history. However, such a great fortification built to provide the citizens of Surat with an adequate defence against the attacks of the invaders seems to have been forgotten from the minds of the present generation. The Ahmedabad king Sultan Mahmood-III (1538-1554), who was very much annoyed by these frequent destructions of Surat, ordered for building a very strong castle and entrusted the work to Safi Agha, a Turkish soldier who had been ennobled with the title of Khudawand Khan. The work of building the castle was completed in 1546. After the capture of Surat by the emperor Akbar (1573) the fortress remained in the charge of commandants appointed from Delhi till it was seized by the Sidhi admiral of the Mugal fleet in 1751. The Sidhi did not hold the castle for long period, as it was captured by the English in 1759 with rest of the city. Though from the first practically independent, the English held the castle nominally under the Mugal. In token of this divided command, two flags waved from the castle walls, the English ensign on the south-west, and the Moorish standard on the south-east bastion. This practice was continued till, in 1842, on the death of the last of the nawabs of Surat, the English fleet was removed from the Tapi, and the Moorish standard taken down from the castle walls. Though, as a defence against any well-equipped enemy, they have long been useless, the castle buildings initially were being kept in repair, and until the year 1862, were garrisoned by a small body of European and native troops. In that year, as no longer required, the force was withdrawn, and the vacated rooms were made over for the accommodation of the various offices connected with the revenue and police departments, in whose occupation the castle has since remained.

Mughal Sarai

The Building which is used at present as an office complex by Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) is one of the ancient monuments of Surat city and was built originally as a 'Sarai' or Musafarkhana (travellers' inn). It was built during the period of Mugal Emperor Shah Jahan in the year 1644 A.D. and was popularly known as 'Mugal Sarai'. During 18th century the same building was used as jail. Since 1867 the building was occupied by the present corporation. This building with its considerable architectural qualities as disposed by the skilful composition of its various parts combined with harmonious combination of arches, cornices, decorated parapets, sculptured patterns on the exterior facade etc. each being disposed in an artistic and effective manner upon a sound foundation with coherent strength is still intact and is in a very good state of preservation. However, some changes are made lately in the original building but due care is taken so as not to harm the overall harmony of the structure. The central courtyard which at present is used for parking vehicles of the employees of the corporation still have huge trees in it hosting a wide variety of birds, giving it still the same touch of nature which it would have once enjoyed.
CEMETERIES

The tombs in English, Dutch and Armenian cemeteries at Surat are reckoned among the most important historical monuments in the city. It is reported that there was so much competition between the Dutch and the English in Surat to impress upon the natives their importance and power that they put mausoleums instead of tomb stones. Many of these are so ridiculously large and ornamental resembling Muslim tombs rather than the ordinary tomb stones in Europe. One of the tomb in the Dutch cemetery is quoted as unequalled among the structures of its kind (barring a few) in Europe. However, Mr. A.F. Bellasis who had given a detailed account of these monuments and their epitaphs in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bombay for January 1861 was evidently apprehensive that within another fifty years or so the majority of these monuments, totally uncared for as they were in his time, would disappear. Thanks, however, to Lord Curzon's solicitude for India's historical monuments, and to the efforts of the Archaeological Survey of India, established forty years after Bellasis wrote and which has under its charge a legacy of monuments and archaeological sites of national importance that these cemeteries in Surat are declared as protected monuments. In-spite of this, majority of these monuments are showing the signs of serious deterioration and it is feared that if measures to conserve them are not expedited the city would loose its historic memorials of the past. A brief description of the distinguished architectural style of the few of the important tombs in the English, Dutch and Armenian cemeteries along with their historical background is presented here. Islamic Monuments: Of the Islamic monuments for mosques are worth visiting. The Nausaiyid Mosque stands on the west bank of the Gopi Lake. Besides the mosques are nine warrior's tombs. The Saiyidd

Idrus Mosque (1639) has a tall minaret, which is a local landmark, and was built in honour of the ruiling dynasty.

The Mirjan Sami Mausoleom (1540) was erected by Khudawand Khan, in Indo-Iranian style. It has some excellent carving and tracery. Khwaja Diwan Sahib's Mosque (1530) is reputed to be dedicated to a Bokhara traveller who lived to the age of 116 years.