‘Top officials have razed heritage structures in past’

Surat: A noted historian on Thursday said that top officials had demolished many heritage structures of the city in the past. Dr Mohan Meghani, a former professor of MTB Arts College, was delivering a lecture on the city’s history in Adajan.
He started by mentioning how the city got its name. “Suryapur’s mention is found in a few documents prepared by Jain scholars around 500 years ago. Later, use of this name was not found. So it is believed that Surat’s name has been derived from Suryapur and some language experts have agreed to it,” said Meghani, who has authored a series of books on the history of the city.
“Many heritage structures have been demolished by the city’s top officials in the past. They laughed at me when I made a representation to them protect the gigantic fort wall at Majura Gate but it was razed,” Meghani told the small gathering.
Meghani gave details about the city’s glorious maritime past. He also spoke about the influence of various cultures from across the globe on Gujarati language. He spoke about how the rulers in the past had started multiple tax collection counters to collect entry tax for goods that came from across the country via different routes.
At the end of the lecture, Meghani replied to questions raised by participants The lecture aimed at creating awareness about the glorious past of Surat. Various organisations have started working together to protect the heritage structures of the city and the lecture was one such initiative. The event organised by The Heritage Trust Surat (THTS). Members of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and Tulsun Dharohar Foundation (TDF) were present. Others present included heritage and history enthusiasts Sanjay Choksi, architect Binita Pandya, founder of TDF Prakash Hathi and conservation architect Swapna Kothari. THTS officials K O Shah, Mukesh Tamakuwala, Rohit Mehta and Arvind Desai were also present. The hall for the event was provided by Lions Club Surat North.