Known as Suryapur and Khubsoorat in times of yore, Surat is the eighth largest city in India. It is the 7th most populous city in India and the administrative capital of Surat district in the state of Gujarat. The city is situated on the left bank of the river Tapti. The primary port of India during the Mughal period, and once its largest city, Surat had one of the highest GDP growth rates in India as of 2008. The city is known as the diamond capital of the world and the textile capital of India, what with a vast majority of the world's diamonds cut and polished here. The city also lays claim to the title of third cleanest city in India. A trip to Surat would be incomplete without a visit to the Chintamani Jain temple, Dutch garden, the old fort, the Sardar Patel museum, Rangupavan, Gaurav Path, Choppati, Udhana, Saputara (hill station), Vansda National Park, beaches, the Dutch cemetery, and Science City.
