South Gujarat, also known as ''Dakshin Gujarat'' (''દક્ષિણ ગુજરાત''), is a region in the

Indian state India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, with a total of 36 entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and smaller administrative divisions. History Pre-indepen ...

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

. The region has a wetter climate than other regions of Gujarat. The western part is almost coastal and is known as ''Kantha Vistar'' ("coastal expanse" in Gujarati), and the eastern part is also known as ''Dungar Vistar'' ("hilly expanse"), which ranges from 100 to 1000 metres, with the highest peak at

Saputara Saputara is a hill station located in Sahyadris or Western Ghats. Saputara town is part of Dang district in Gujarat, India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest cou ...

in the Dang district.

Headquarters and districts

Surat Surat is a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The word Surat literally means ''face'' in Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of the river Tapti near its confluence with the Arabian Sea, it used to be a large seaport. It is ...

the largest city in this region, and the second largest in Gujarat and eight largest in India, is the headquarters of South Gujarat region. The districts in this region are

Surat district Surat is a district in the state of Gujarat, India with Surat city as the administrative headquarters of this district. It is surrounded by Bharuch, Narmada (North), Navsari (South) districts and east Tapi district To the west is the Gulf o ...

, Bharuch district, Navsari district, Dang district, Valsad district,

Narmada district Narmada district is an administrative district in the state of Gujarat in India. The district headquarters are located at Rajpipla. The district is bounded by Vadodara and Chhota Udaipur districts in the north, by Nandurbar district of Maha ...

and Tapi district. Other important cities are Bharuch, Ankleshwar, Navsari, Vyara, Valsad, Pardi,

Bardoli Bardoli is a town and a municipality in Surat Metropolitan Region in the state of Gujarat, India. Geography Bardoli is located at . It has an average elevation of 22 metres (72 feet). Weather Bardoli is having average rainfall of ...

Vapi Vapi (IAST: vāpī,), is a city and municipality in Valsad district in the state of Gujarat, India.It is situated near the banks of the Daman Ganga River, around 28 km south of the district headquarters in the city of Valsad, and it is s ...

, Jambusar,

Bilimora Bilimora is a city situated on the banks of the river Ambika, in Gandevi taluka & Navsari district of Gujarat state, in India. The city comes under the purview of the Surat Metropolitan Region. The city is roughly south of the city of Surat ...

, Amalsad, Rajpipla and

Songadh Songadh is a taluka in Tapi district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Geography Fort Songadh is located at . It has an average elevation of 112 metres (367 feet). The town is located at the foot of a solitary hill, the surrounding a ...

Notable South Gujarat Politicians

* Morarji Desai was elected Prime Minister, and became the first non-Congress Prime Minister of India. He was born in Bhadeli village, Bulsar district, Bombay Presidency, British India (present-day Valsad district, Gujarat, India) on 29 February 1896 . *

Ahmed Patel Ahmedbhai Muhammedbhai Patel (21 August 194925 November 2020), also known as Ahmed Patel, was an Indian politician and Member of Parliament from the Indian National Congress. He was the political secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi. P ...

Indian Politician associated with

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British E ...

. *

Kanubhai Desai Kanubhai Mohanlal Desai is an Indian politician associated with Bharatiya Janata Party. He is a member of Gujarat Legislative Assembly representing Pardi constituency. He is the current Minister of Finance, Minister of Energy, Government of Gu ...

finance, power and petrochemical minister of Gujarat. * C. R. Patil Indian Politician associated with

Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the List of ruling p ...

Notable People

Jamsetji Tata Jamsetji (Jamshedji) Nusserwanji Tata (3 March 1839 – 19 May 1904) was an Indian pioneer industrialist who founded the Tata Group, India's biggest conglomerate company. Named the greatest philanthropist of the last century by several pol ...

founder of what would later become the Tata Group of companies, regarded as the "father of Indian industry". * Freddie Mercury singer and songwriter for the British rock band Queen, whose family originated from Valsad. *

Dadabhai Naoroji Dadabhai Naoroji (4 September 1825 – 30 June 1917) also known as the "Grand Old Man of India" and "Unofficial Ambassador of India", was an Indian political leader, merchant, scholar and writer who served as 2nd, 9th, and 22nd President of t ...

, known as the "Grand Old Man of India".

Places of tourism

- is a hill-station only 172 km from Surat is perched in the Sahayadri mountain ranges of South Gujarat and is the only hill-station in Gujarat. Ahwa, Gira Water Fall, Sanctuary, Table Top, Sunset Point, Boating, Rope-Way, Paragliding etc. are main Attractions in Saputara * Dandi - is a beach famous for Salt March ( Dandi Satyagraha) which was held in 1930 by Mahatma Gandhi during British era is only 45 km from Surat. *Ubharat Beach - is a famous beach situated only 45 km south from Surat, 30 km west from Navsari. *

Dumas Beach Dumas Beach is a rural beach along the Arabian Sea, located southwest of the city of Surat in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is a popular tourist destination in South Gujarat. Dumas Beach is justly famous for being in the top 35 haunted spot ...

- is a famous beach in Surat city. * Suvali Beach - is a famous beach situated only 35 km from Surat main city. *

Tithal Beach Tithal Beach is located in Valsad on the coast of Arabian Sea in the state of Gujarat.The sand of the beach is Black sand. Tithal beach is one of the popular tourist attractions of Valsad district and Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state alon ...

- is a famous beach situated only 100 km from Surat, 7 km from Valsad. *

Umargam Umargam (IAST: ''Umargām''), also known as Umbergaon (IAST: ''Umbargāv'') is a census town and Municipality in the Indian state of Gujarat. The town is known for its beaches, its tourist attractions, and its film industry. In 2017, the town b ...

- is a famous place where there is a studio of Mythological drama/series (including Mahabharat, by B.R. Chopra), movies are being shoot. *Barumala-Dharampur-Valsad - There is famous temple of Hindu God ''Shankar'' * Kabirvad - Kabirvad is a banyan tree located on a small river island in Narmada river. It is in Bharuch district. *

- Surat is the commercial and economic center in South Gujarat, which is famous for its diamonds and textile Industries and as a shopping centre for apparels and accessories. Surat Aquarium ( Jagdishchandra Bose Aquarium), Heritage Gopi Talao,

, Suvali Beach, Shyam Prasad Mukharjee Zoo (Sarthana Zoo), Botanical Garden are places to visit in Surat. Surat's Urban Infrastructures, Mall, Multiplex and

Gaurav Path Gaurav Path is an expressway in Piplod, Surat, India. It was designed and constructed by the Surat Municipal Corporation as a part of a plan to connect Surat City with its airport, Magdalla Sea Port and Dumas Village. The expressway replaced t ...

are attractive for Urban life lovers.

References

{{Gujarat Regions of Gujarat