PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The historic lake of Gopi Talao1 dates back to 17th Century and was a very important urban
space for the trading city of Surat. The lake lost its importance due to neglect in the 19 th and
20th century and became a health and social menace in the coming times. Gopi Talao is located
in the walled city of Surat, The walled city area of Surat city is one of the dense most urban
areas with an average density of five hundred to eight hundred persons per hectare. In the
middle of the city, between the inner ring road and the outer ring road, a large open land
named ‘Gopi Talao’ is located; a place once famous for being a Talao (pond) became difficult to
be accessed by people and became a place for antisocial activities.
The project ‘Rejuvenation of Gopi Talao’ as lake is a major leap in bringing back the glory of the
historically and environmentally important public place. The project site is located in the heart
of the old city (previous walled city) of Surat admeasuring 10.0 hectare (1, 00,000 Sq.Mt.), the
original water body which was lost in the process of city growth and urbanization is rejuvenated
as a lake and public park. The key components of the project are Public Park, Water body and
preservation of historic step well present in the site. The project is divided into seven zones
excluding the water body; each zone depicts the peculiarity of seven important features of the
city of Surat viz... Historicity, Environmental Awareness, Diamond trade, Love for Food, Textile
trade, Communal Harmony and the aspiration of being a futuristic city. The large urban open
space with the water body is envisaged as a must visit tourist destination as well as an
important part of recreational life of the people of Surat.
PROJECT SIGNIFICANCE
The historic references of Gopi Talao can be obtained from various travel accounts by various
travellers who visited Surat in the 17th Century. Gopi Talao was a major urban recreational
space with religious significance. Gopi Talao was directly connected to the Makkai (Mecca)
creek; the creek named after the place from where the Muslim pilgrims boarded for the holy
city of Mecca. The project redefines the role of Gopi Talao in the historic water management
system by becoming an important part of the storm water network.
The project is a very significant public place (the biggest in the city of Surat) and it is going to
benefit the old city area immediately and also the greater city of Surat with a population of 5
million people. The environmental impact of this project are far reaching, in the form of
bringing down the temperature and improving the microclimate of the place, acting as a flood
cushion as well as recharging the ground water table. The project of rejuvenation of Gopi Talao
as lake and creating an inclusive public place for the people of old city of Surat is helping in
1
Talao in Gujarati Language (regional Indian language) means Lake.
improving the living conditions of the people in the immediate surroundings as well as making
the old area more and more desirable for the people to reside, this project has given back the
people of Surat its historic urban ‘place’. This project has discouraged outward migration in the
newer areas of Surat thus retaining the essence of the old city of Surat. By creation of this state
of the art public place the neighbourhood and the old city at large is provided with an essential
recreational space which will be enjoyed by the predominantly Muslim population residing in
the immediate vicinity. The project is a torch bearer in Indian context and is seen as a catalyst
for renewal of the medieval towns as well as generating a positive spirit for the revival of old
cities in India as well as re-creating the forgotten Public spaces. The project is created on the
principles of the phrase ‘ What is the City, But the people’, and this principle drives the project
and its intentions and after a long labour of almost 14 years the place is presented back to the
people of the city.
