Surat's Legendary Namesakes

Call it co-incidence or otherwise, but every place in the world worth going to has another place by the same name ;Surat being no exception to this law of tourism, has a town in Thailand named similar to it –Surat Thani which also has a river Tapi flowing by ,if you please. The province which means ‘city of good people’ was thus called by King Vajiravudh –Rama VI only as recently as 1915. Our good old Tapi town on the other hand, has been known as Surat since ancient ages and has more than one tale attached to the reason it is so called.

How did the name ‘Surat’ come about? Whom is the city named after? What does its name mean? Historians and poets through the ages have pondered over these questions much before you and I did; which has caused speculation regarding the same to run rife in books penned long ago. Some suggestions abide by historic happenings others are merely inspired by local folklore, but, all make interesting stories behind the raison d’être of Surat’s name.

Surat Itihaas Darshan Vol I informs readers that the word ‘Surti’ has its first written reference in an essay ‘Kahanadde’(1456 A.D), which mentions Khambhat and Rander as well. Surat finds its first mention in Jain scriptures dated 1478 .Tapi Puran which is believed to have been written during the 16th century mentions the river as being Suryaputri –the Sun god’s daughter and hence the town was called Suryapur .Ancient texts also mention numerous prayer rituals which were carried out as a salute to the Sun from here and the religious importance attached to the same.

Poet Narmad’s take on the town’s namesake theories are as varied as his works and laced with a certain romance. One of his stories goes that Surat was so christened by Khwaja Safar Suleimani aka Khudawand Khan who built the Castle .Narmad suggests that the town is named after Khan’s amour with a lady named Surat. Another one of Narmad’s fables speaks about a trader named Rumi from Constantinople who fell in love with a concubine called Surtha, she belonged to the harem of the Emperor of Turkey. Both escaped the wrath of the royal rage and sailed out into the sea. They arrived on the shore of Tapi opposite to Rander and set up the trading port with the permission of Gujarat’s sultan. Rumi met with great success thereafter and named the town Surat after his lady love.

Surat also has its share of royal stories that suggest that it has been named after kings. One of them reads that the king of Kamrej had land measuring 1400 vinghas here which had 14 wells. Kavi Narmad tried to find all 14 and is believed to have listed 10. The Bhagwad Golmandal Kosh states that the owner of Surajwadi was Sursen, an heir of the king of Kamrej and that our town has been named after him. Author Ishwarlal Ichharam Desai has written in ‘Surat Sonani Murat’ that Surat was named as the capital of King Surath who has been mentioned in a text named ‘Govind Das Erakrchara’penned by Govind Das,a disciple of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
French traveller Anquetil Du Perron of Paris, who visited Surat in 1758 mentions in his travelogue that a popular folklore here is about a prominent fisherman called Suratji Mahigir. A leader who protested against the Portuguese attacks and urged the Sultan of Ahmedabad to have a strong castle built to protect the locals. According to Perron, Surat was named after Suratji.

While some believe that the town was named after Malik Gopi’s mother Suraja ,historian Mohan Meghani informs readers via his book ‘Solmi sadi nu Surat’ about the folk lore of trader Malik Gopi who built Gopi Talav and set up the town as a successful trading port .Legend goes that he inherited immense wealth from a beautiful nautch girl named Suraj whom Gopi’s widowed mother served as house help. Suraj willed all her wealth to Gopi and later left for Hajj, never to return. Upon achieving great success as a trader and the title of Malik in 1515, Gopi called for Brahmin to name the trading town and suggested they name it ‘Suraj’, as a tribute to the generous lady who had left him her entire fortune. The reigning Mughal Sultan Muzzafar Shah however thought it would be inappropriate to name the town after a courtesan and suggested the word ‘Surat’ instead.

Suraa is the Arabic word used to mention every stanza of the Holy Quran and the Indian Muslim version of the same is known as Suraat.

Surat’s Celebrated Tonsorial Artist: Tom

Surat’s Celebrated Tonsorial Artist: Tom

‘Oh, Surat!’
‘Let us ask the first old Indian one can meet, soldier or civilian, where he was the happiest, and which he thought was the pleasantest station in the whole of Bombay Presidency?
His answer will be immediate-“Oh Surat! It was such a splendid city; the river was so fine, the commerce and shipping rendered it so cheerful, and the Moslem buildings were so magnificent; besides all that there was such good feeling in society –oh, there was never anything like Old Surat!”
And then, with garrulous delight ,the veteran hog hunter proceeds to dilate on the numerous ‘first spears’ he has taken ; on the pleasant picnics at Dumas and Vaux’s Tomb ; on the sporting songs of the celebrated Major Morris ,so often trolled forth in chorus from tents pitched upon the banks of the pleasant ‘Tapti’; nor does he forget to laugh once more over that character of fun and gossip ,that Figaro of the East ,Old Tom ,the Barber of Surat.’

When British ladies Marianna Postans and Marianne Young brought out their book on the Nawab of Surat in 1857, Tapi town’s introductory paragraph highlighted all of Surat’s delights which, as you may have noticed above, included the town’s favourite tonsorial artist, Tom.

Comparing him to Pierre Beurmachais’ Figaro-Le Barbier de Seville, albeit a little less mischievous, less dangerous but equally witty, lively and charming; the authoresses fondly note how everyone who had visited Surat in those days remembers Old Tom with a friendly feeling ,as an eccentric, peculiar character who brought many moments of entertaining chats to his customers .

It is a curious fact not generally known that this popular ‘hujjam’ (as locals called him) of Surat has been mentioned in many books which were published in the mid 1800’s by Britishers. So much so, that the Saturday Review on Politics vol 25 has its bunch of authors wondering why Sir Bartere Frere has devoted an entire page to Old Tom, in Old Deccan Days, which mentions him as,’ An ancient local celebrity named Tom the Barber whose vivid recollections of chronicles from former days could ill conceal the pride that he revealed them with.’

Everybody liked Tom and looked forward to his visits and varied tales as he went from house to house attending to the town’s elite. Described by different Europeans as a coiffeur with a swarthy complexion, about 45 years of age, clean shaven, with mischievous eyes, dressed in white linen, huge spectacles, small turban, a checked towel thrown carelessly over his shoulder, with a sheet sized cloth tied to his waist which displayed methodically arranged razors, soap box and pots of silver.

The resplendent paraphernalia exhibited around his abdomen consisted of his work tools inherited from his father, whose business he succeeded. Tom made sure everyone was well informed about the royal silverware’s history. Apparently the senior hair stylist had been gifted a shaving kit in pure silver by the Duke of Wellington who had honoured him with several sittings during his progress in the province of Gujarat.

Reputed to be an inquisitive and mendacious barber, who blended fact with fiction to present entertaining enchanting tales, Tom’s personal favourite was one about a sharp shooter who shot at earthen pots carried by women at the town well, with the pearl of his wife’s nose ring; but was killed in the battle by another good shot of a soldier who fired his gun for the first time.
Often a victim of his own success, he was much talked about by Tapi town’s tittle- tattle brigade. Upon remarrying a young and blooming wife, he was subjected to many cutting jests which were less witty but more telling than his own, but he chose to ignore them and exercised his vocation earnestly, blessing all his employers with a century’s age saying, “Mata pita make you hundred years old.”

As soon as any European arrived in Surat, Tom would call upon him at his lodgings requesting even heavily bearded and mustached men,”My Master, no let shave-let cut hair? Litt-lee long beard grow. Litt-lee six children and two wives die.Too much cholera.No let Tom cut hair-litt-lee .All sahib now no shave, long beard grow and Tom get no rupee.”
 George Waters recollects in his 'Indian Gleanings' how he perplexed the chatter box into silence by offering him his dog to be trimmed because his own beard was too dear to him. After a minute of silence, Tom indignantly stood up and saluting with his knavish style bid the sahib adieu, never to return again.

An old Surti saying goes,’visit a popular barber and you wont need to read the newspaper’. Maybe it was stemmed by the story of Old Tom-the superfluous hair-destroying artist of a sufficiently civilized society.

Surat's Proverbial Sixers

Surat's proverbial sixers

Most cities around the world have proverbial words attached to them that best describe their nature or law of the land. American author Henry Van Dyke once wrote ,“Oh, London is a man's town, there's power in the air; And Paris is a woman's town, with flowers in her hair; And it's sweet to dream in Venice, and it's great to study Rome;
But when it comes to living, there is no place like home.”

Amongst all other cities, Rome has so far been a favourite with writers. Often while watching a Hollywood flick or reading a book we come across lines like ‘All roads lead to Rome’, ‘When in Rome do as the Romans do’, ’Rome was not built in a day’, or to ‘Fiddle while Rome burns’ –The ideas behind these statements have always been ambiguous. As Oscar Wilde said, ’’The truth is rarely pure and never simple”; nothing could stand truer than the same for the origins of proverbs and idioms.

Even as Rome stands much celebrated worldwide, Surat and Surtis have their own set of old sayings; still oft quoted within its sheris and markets which visitors would fail to understand. Some are simple, others complicated but all share equally the distinction of being associated with the essence of Surat as a city.

You may have heard the most popular ‘Surat nu jaman ney Kashi maran’ that best describes the town’s lip smacking cuisine but a funnier one goes ,’Surat na vengan matey toh dev talsey chey’ meaning ‘Even the gods pine for Surat’s delicacies’.

Food has often been the forte of Surti proverbs .We have one which goes ‘Surat na suhvaala lok,nadi utariney meley ponk’ which talks of smooth Surtis and the good life they live by feasting on Ponk by the riverside. Another recommends,’Surat ni barfi ,Mathurana penda, Mumbai no halwo ney Khambhat ni sutarfeni.’

Then there are those sayings which glorify the city like ‘Surat sonani murat’, Surat sheher ney sunnani leher, Surat ni gat (speed)

Others still have been framed to hit it below the belt as well. Like ‘Surat sheher na lok,divasey boley ne raatey fok !’ meaning the Surti folks promise something by the day and go back on their word by night. You may have heard of ‘Delhi ka thug’ but Surat’s scoundrels are called’ Surti thug, haathma chattar ne gajvaama pathhar’ meaning Surat’s cheats hold an umbrella over the head but have stones in place of their wallets.

Smooth talkers are called ‘Surti ne vaat karey ullti’ which suggests Surtis are not straight forward but beat around the bush. Surtis have also been called ‘Surat na gaanda ney Bharuch na dahya, Surat na luchha ney Mumbai na maanda ‘while the former adjective describes Surtis as crazy the latter says Surtis are smart.

The jolly good nature of laid back locals is best described via ’Surya ast toh Surti mast’ –Surtis rejoice at sundown. Sethiyas are called ‘Surti ney Mangalmurti’ or even ‘Surat ney saheb ni murat’. Creditors were teased with ‘Multan kay Mallahji, Delhi kay Laaley; Surat kay Bhaisaheb, bheekh maangney ko chaley’

While all other proverbs are general in nature, the ones that describe the ladies of Tapi town are particularly distinct to their demeanor. On one hand they have been literally elevated on a pedestal in the saying ’Vadodra ni neechi naari ney Surat ni Paniyaari’ on the other there is an old couplet that goes ’Navsari ni nasaakhari, ney Bharuch ni bhatiyaari; Suratni toh aevi saari ,key khoon kariney kuttwa chaali’ meaning that Surti women are so crafty that they can get away even with murder.

An ancient entertaining ace penned long ago,which sketches out in general, the picture of Surti women who love to gossip remains true till date and goes, ’Gopipura ni gupp ney Chautey chaali chapachapp!’