Gopi Talav

{{Infobox body of water

| name = Gopi Talav

| native_name =

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| image = Gopi Talav 5.jpg

| alt = Gopi Talav in the evening

| caption = Gopi Talav in the evening

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| location = Surat, India

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| coordinates = {{coord|21|11|18.9|N|72|49|45.8|E|region:ZZ_type:waterbody|display =inline,title}}

| type = Artificial lake

| etymology = Malik Gopi

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| catchment = {{convert|35300|m2|sqmi|abbr=on}}

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| agency = Rajhans Group (Movaliya Brothers),Surat Municipal Corporation

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| date-built = 1510

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| length = {{convert|212|m}}

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| volume = {{convert|120000000|litre|abbr=on}}

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| cities = Surat

| pushpin_map = India Gujarat

| pushpin_label_position =

| pushpin_map_alt = Location of the lake within Gujarat

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| website = [https://surattourism.in/gopi-talav-surat Surat Tourism - Gopi Talav]

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}}

Gopi Talav or Gopi Lake is a lake in the Gopipura locality in the city of Surat in Gujarat state of India. It was built circa 1510 CE by Malik Gopi, who was an affluent merchant and governor of Surat during the Gujarat Sultanate. In 2012, the lake was renovated by Surat Municipal Corporation and the area surrounding was redeveloped as a recreational facility.

History

Malik Gopi, a Brahmin merchant,{{ref|1|[Note 1]}} settled in Surat and the development of the city has been attributed to his contributions. The area he developed was called Gopipura, in his honour and the king of Gujarat{{ref|2|[Note 2]}} gave him the title of "Malik". The town that he developed was still unnamed and consulting astrologers he proposed to name it "Suraj" or "Suryapur". The king disliking the Hindu inclination of the name altered it to "Surat" (meaning headings of the chapters of the Quran). Gopi also finds mentions in Portuguese literature as "Lord of Surat and Bharuch".

In 1573, Emperor Akbar had set up his military base camp near the lake during the siege of Surat.{{cite news|title=504-year-old Surat's lost lake Gopi Talav set to regain glory |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/504-year-old-Surats-lost-lake-Gopi-Talav-set-to-regain-glory/articleshow/31186286.cms |first=Ashleshaa |last=Khurana |date=1 March 2014 |work=Times of India |location=Surat |accessdate=6 December 2015}}

Sanskrit poet Vinayavijaya (1613–1681){{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZgNHE-48jNcC&pg=PA413 | title=Encyclopaedia of Oriental Philosophy | year=2005 | publisher=Global Vision Pub House | pages=413 | isbn=9788182201132}} in his poem "Indudutam" calls this lake a "fine art emerged from the churning of oceans."{{cite web | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/Gopi-Talav-to-open-for-public-in-Sept/articleshow/48263411.cms | title=Gopi Talav to open for public in Sept | work=Times of India | date=29 July 2015 | accessdate=10 December 2015 | author=Khurana, Ashleshaa}} The lake also finds mentions in travelogues of European visitors. British traveler Peter Mundy who arrived in Surat in September 1628 describes the lake as "the Great Tancke of Surat," and "admirable for its workemannshipp and bignes". Dutch geographer Joannes de Laet's 1631 Latin works mention this lake to have been cut out of a rock. Johan Albrecht de Mandelslo, a German adventurer who landed in Surat in 1638 describes the vastness of the lake along with steps surrounding it and mentions the house that stood at the centre; wrongly calling it "the tomb of the builder of this magnificent structure".{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PlhTMbDPykUC&pg=PA11 | title=Mandelslo's Travels In Western India | publisher=Asian Educational Services | author=M. S. Commissariat | year=1996 | pages=11 | isbn=9788120607149}} Portuguese Jesuit Manoel Godinho toured the Surat region in 1662–63 and mentions two wells outside the city used to supply drinking water and this is implied as a reference to two cisterns of the lake. The lake also finds mentions in the chronicles of Italian traveler Pietro della Valle as "Gopi Telau". Sir Thomas Herbert, who toured India on various occasions in 15th century, mentions the lake to have been used to hold rain water for drinking purpose.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qBZg0OhbiXMC&pg=PA652 | title=Asia in the Making of Europe: A century of advance. Volume III, Volumes 2–3 | publisher=University of Chicago Press | author=Donald Frederick Lach, Edwin J. Van Kley | year=1998 | pages=617, 652, 661, 743, 746, 751 | isbn=9780226467672}}

In 1666, French traveler Jean de Thévenot in his writings notes the absence of restorations required for the lake.{{cite book | title=The Archaeology of European Expansion in India: Gujarat, C. 16th–18th Centuries | publisher=Aryan Books International | author=Dilip K. Chakrabarti | year=2003 | isbn=9788173052507}} By 1674, the lake had been ignored and had turned dry turning to ruins by 1717. Further in the 20th century, the steps surrounding this dry lake made it look like a huge amphitheater.

Renovation and redevelopment

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In 2012, the lake and the surrounding areas were renovated at the budget of around {{INRConvert|22|c}}. Around {{Convert|90000|m2}} of land was renovated, where the {{Convert|212|m}} diameter lake covered almost {{Convert|35000|m2}} of area.{{cite web | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/Gopi-Talav-to-get-a-new-avatar-next-year/articleshow/17751769.cms | title=Gopi Talav to get a new avatar next year | work=Times of India | date=25 December 2012 | accessdate=9 December 2015 | author=Bhatt, Himansshu}} The lake can hold {{Convert|120000000|l}} of water. The renovated surroundings include amphitheater and fountain plaza. The area has been divided into seven zones; the diamond zone, food zone, environment zone, history zone, communal harmony zone, textile zone and Surat nu Jaman. The Surat Municipal Corporation has outsourced the operation and maintenance of these to a local company called Rajhans Entertainment which would develop an amusement park called "Future Zone" and also pay an annual royalty of {{INRConvert|30|l}} to the Corporation.{{cite news| url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/Gopi-Talav-to-get-an-amusement-park/articleshow/48279309.cms | title=Gopi Talav to get an amusement park | work=Times of India | date=30 July 2015 | accessdate=10 December 2015}} The first phase was inaugurated on 5 December 2015 by Chief Minister of Gujarat, Anandiben Patel.{{cite web | url=http://dnasyndication.com/dna/dna_english_news_and_features/CM-wants-to-make-Surat-best-city-in-the-world/DNAHM94136 | title=CM wants to make Surat best city in the world | work=Daily News & Analysis | date=5 December 2015 | accessdate=11 January 2016}}

The redevelopment of the lake and the park around it is based on the renovation of Kankaria Lake in Ahmedabad.{{cite news |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/Blending-past-with-present/articleshow/34062511.cms |title=Blending past with present |first=Himansshu |last=Bhatt |work=Times of India |location=Surat |date=21 April 2014 |accessdate=2015-12-10}} Water to the lake will be piped from the Tapi river on whose banks the city lies.{{cite news|title=New-look Gopi Talav to make splash in January |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/New-look-Gopi-Talav-to-make-splash-in-January/articleshow/45200091.cms |date=19 November 2014 |work=Times of India |location=Surat |accessdate=10 December 2015}}

Gallery

File:Gopi Talav.jpg|Entrance

File: Gopi Talav 2.jpg|Fountain and Boating

File: Gopi Talav 4.jpg

File: Gopi Talav -DJI 0084.jpg|Drone view after renovation in 2016. (Night Mode)

File: Gopi Talav DJI 0041.jpg|Drone view after renovation in 2016. (Day Mode)

File: Gopi Talav IMG 0266.jpg|Drona view of Surat from the back side of Gopi Talav(Lake) in 2016.

Notes

^{{{note|1|[Note 1]}}}Caste of Malik Gopi is unclear and has been described as Nagar Brahmin or Anaavla Brahmin.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mboMAAAAIAAJ&dq=gopi+talav&pg=PA70 | title=Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, Volume 2 | publisher=Government Central Press | year=1877 | pages=70}}
^{{{note|1|[Note 2]}}}The king at the time has been disputed and has been described to be Mahmud Begada or his son, Muzaffar Shah II in various accounts.