The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange surged 204 points, or 1.2 percent, to close at a new 17-month high of 17,231, today. The market rose amid a good start to the corporate earnings season, and firm Asian bourses. The Nifty at the National Stock Exchange spurted 64 points, or 1.3 per cent, to 5,118.Stock markets in China, Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea gained between 1 percent and 2 percent.