Malik Gopi, a Brahmin merchant,[Note 1] settled in Surat and the development of the city has been attributed to his contributions.

[3] Sanskrit poet Vinayavijaya (1613–1681)[4] in his poem "Indudutam" calls this lake a "fine art emerged from the churning of oceans.

[7] 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".

[2] 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.

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.

[7] In 1666, French traveler Jean de Thévenot in his writings notes the absence of restorations required for the lake.