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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2025}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Bakor Patel
| series = 
| image = Bakor_Patel.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Bakor Patel depicted as an anthropomorphic goat reading newspaper and wearing [[paghadi]], [[kurta]] and [[dhoti]]
| first = 1936
| last = 1955
| creator = [[Hariprasad Vyas]]
| portrayer =
| voice =
| lbl1 = Publisher
| data1 = ''Gandiv'' by Gandiv Sahitya Mandir, [[Surat]]
| lbl2 = Artists
| data2 = Tansukh, Mansukh, V. Ramanuj
| lbl3 = Language
| data3 = Gujarati
| info-hdr =
| noinfo =
| full_name =
| nickname =
| alias =
| species = Goat
| gender = Male
| occupation = Businessman
| affiliation =
| title =
| family =
| spouse = Shakri Patlani
| significant_other = Vaghjibhai Vakil, Hathishankar Dhamdhamiya, Untadiya Vaidya
| children = No
| relatives =
| religion =
| nationality =
| lbl21 =
| data21 =
| lbl22 =
| data22 =
| lbl23 =
| data23 =
| extra-hdr =
| lbl31 =
| data31 =
| lbl32 =
| data32 =
| lbl33 =
| data33 =
}}
'''Bakor Patel''' is [[children's literature in Gujarati language|children's literature]] character created by [[Hariprasad Vyas]] for [[talking animals in fiction|talking animal]] stories. The stories were published in ''Gandiv'', a children's biweekly in [[Gujarati language]] by Gandiv Sahitya Mandir, [[Surat]], [[Gujarat]], India. The humorous stories about Bakor Patel first appeared in 1936 and continued till 1955. The stories included other [[anthropomorphic]] characters including his wife, Shakri Patlani. The stories were accompanied with an illustration and title printed in typical typography; drawn by two Surat based artist brothers, Tansukh and Mansukh.<ref name="Kothari 2004">{{cite web | last=Kothari | first=Urvish | title=બકોર પટેલ : એકવીસમી સદીમાં | website=gujarati world | date=1 March 2004 | url=http://urvishkothari-gujarati.blogspot.in/2014/10/blog-post_26.html | language=gu | access-date=23 September 2015}}</ref><ref name="su2012">{{cite web | author=Suresh Joshi | title=વ્યાસ હરિપ્રસાદ મણિરાય, Vyas Hariprasad Maniray | website=ગુજરાતી પ્રતિભા પરિચય | date=16 October 2012 | url=https://sureshbjani.wordpress.com/2012/10/16/vyas-hariprasad/ | language=gu | access-date=23 September 2015}}</ref> The character became the icon of Gujarati children's literature and was later adapted into a children's play.

==Characters and story==
Bakor Patel is a [[goat]] depicted as middle aged businessman living in [[Bombay]] with his goat wife Shakri Patlani. He owns a trading business in Bombay that works with firms in Japan. He lives an upper middle class life in 1940-50s and owns bungalow and car. His friends include other [[anthropomorphic]] animals like a tiger, Vaghjibhai Vakil as a lawyer; an elephant, Hathibhai Dhamdhamiya; a camel, Untadiya Doctor as a doctor; a [[pundit]], Timu Pandit; Jiraf Joshi; Bankubhai and several others. Sometimes spouses of the characters and some female characters like Khushaldoshi are depicted.<ref name="Kothari 2004"/><ref name="pen">{{cite book|title=The Indian P.E.N.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lrhPAQAAIAAJ|year=1955|page=399}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Illustrated Weekly of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Wc6AQAAIAAJ|date=October 1974|publisher=Published for the proprietors, Bennett, Coleman & Company, Limited, at the Times of India Press|page=33}}</ref>

The stories take place in Bombay during the 1940s and 1950s. Bakor Patel is depicted as a social family person who travels for business and enjoy his time with family and friends back home. He has a mature relationship with his wife, Shakri Patlani. He seeks small adventures in his regular life and tries to experience new things that often go wrong in the end. Yet, he joyfully accepts failures of his adventures and continues on to the next one. His family and friends accompany in his adventures and shares the delight.<ref name="Kothari 2004"/>

==Style and history==
The ''Gandiv'', a children's biweekly in [[Gujarati language]] published by Gandiv Sahitya Mandir, [[Surat]] was started in August 1925 by Natwarlal Malvi. The biweekly continued till 1973.<ref name="Kothari 2004"/>

[[Hariprasad Vyas]] wrote these light humorous stories on the suggestion of Natwarlal Malvi. The chief characters Bakor Patel was named after Bakor Mukhi from his maternal family and Shakri Patlani was modified from his wife Bakri. He visualised the characters as a goat and subsequently other characters were inspired by other animals with their usual characteristics. Natwarlal Malvi had discussed with Vyas about children's stories from the Russian literature which are satire on human society. Malvi had known this from ''Red Virtue'' (1933) by British journalist [[Ella Winter]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=ગુજરાતી વિશ્વકોશ|last=Trivedi|first=Shraddha|publisher=Gujarat Vishwakosh Trust|year=2000|editor-last=Thaker|editor-first=Dhirubhai|editor-link=Dhirubhai Thaker|edition=1st|location=Ahmedabad|pages=12–13|language=gu|trans-title=Gujarati Encyclopedia}}</ref> The stories are social in nature and depicted commons social life of upper middle class in the cities of that time. The stories were printed in big types accompanied with an illustration mostly in black and white and title printed in typical typography which were drawn by two Surat based artist brothers, Tansukh and Mansukh.<ref name="Kothari 2004"/><ref name="pen"/>

Later the stories were reprinted in large format children's books accompanied with drawings in colors. When the illustration were redrawn by V. Ramanuj for new editions, they were slightly different from the original art.

The stories selected by Mahendra Meghani and translated in English by Piyush Joshi were published by the [[National Book Trust]] in 2009.

==Reception and influence==
The stories were popular among children as well as admired by adults when they were first appeared in biweekly. They are still popular across Gujarat and is considered as an icon of children's literature in Gujarati language.<ref name="Kothari 2004"/><ref name="ary">{{cite book|title=Aryan Path|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_ZIkAQAAIAAJ|year=1949|page=220}}</ref><ref name="Jhaveri2014">{{cite book|author=Urmila Jhaveri|title=Dancing With Destiny: Memoir|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ts4AAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT40|date=10 February 2014|publisher=Partridge Publishing India|isbn=978-1-4828-1043-1|page=40}}</ref> The success of the stories resulted in several other stories appearing in Gujarati children's literature with anthropomorphic characters like Galbo Shiyal by [[Ramanlal Soni]]. The stories influenced writers like [[Taarak Mehta]] whose humorous weekly column ''Duniya ne Oondha Chashma'' has similar social background.<ref name="Kothari 2004"/>

==Adaptation==
''Bakor Patel'', a children's play based on the character was produced by the [[Indian National Theatre]], [[Mumbai]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|chapter-url=http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195644463.001.0001/acref-9780195644463-e-0220|title=The Oxford companion to Indian theatre|last=Lal|first=Ananda|publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/acref/9780195644463.001.0001|year=2004|isbn=978-0195644463|location=New Delhi|oclc=56986659|via=Oxford Reference|chapter=Indian National Theatre}}</ref>

==Books==
Some of the books are:
* ''Bakor Patel : Aade Bakade''
* ''Bakor Patel : Aasmanma!''
* ''Bakor Patel : Andhale Behru''
* ''Bakor Patel : April Fool''
* ''Bakor Patel : Chamatkar Tya Namaskar''
* ''Bakor Patel : Dholkun Dholyun!''
* ''Bakor Patel : Doctor nay Doctor''
* ''Bakor Patel : Gammat Par Gammat''
* ''Bakor Patel : Goyam Pindam''
* ''Bakor Patel : Jagjo Re!''
* ''Bakor Patel : Lyo Leta Jao''
* ''Bakor Patel : Papadiyo Jang!''
* ''Bakor Patel : Raj nu Gaj''
* ''Bakor Patel : Ran Medane''
* ''Bakor Patel : Sampetara''
* ''Bakor Patel : Tachakiyu''
* ''Bakor Patel : Tran Trekhad?''
* ''Bakor Patel : Ujani''
* ''Bakor Patel na Chhabarda''
* ''Bakor Patel na Parakramo''
* ''Bakor Patel ni Gammato''
* ''Bakor Patel ni Garbado''
* ''Bakor Patel ni Kahanio''
* ''Bakor Patel ni Kathao''
* ''Bakor Patel ni Vaato''

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cite book | last=Vyas | first=Hari Prasad | last2=Joshi | first2=Piyush | last3=Joseph | first3=Jose | title=Stories of Bakor Patel:Selection from the Original Gujarati Stories was made by Mahendra Meghani | publisher=National Book Trust | url=http://www.printsasia.in/book/stories-of-bakor-patel-selection-from-the-original-gujarati-stories-was-made-by-mahendra-meghani-8123735847-9788123735849 | isbn=978-8123735849 }}
*{{cite web | title=બકોર પટેલ : પાપડિયો જંગ ! – હરિપ્રસાદ વ્યાસ (Selected Story ''Bakor Patel : Papadiyo Jang!'') | website=ReadGujarati.com | date=12 August 2010 | url=http://archive.readgujarati.in/sahitya2/2010/08/12/papadiyo-jung/ | language=gu | access-date=23 September 2015 | archive-date=25 September 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925110236/http://archive.readgujarati.in/sahitya2/2010/08/12/papadiyo-jung/ | url-status=dead }}
{{Humor and wit characters}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Anthropomorphic goats]]
[[Category:Fictional goats]]
[[Category:Humour and wit characters of India]]
[[Category:Literary characters introduced in 1936]]
[[Category:Culture of Gujarat]]
[[Category:Picture books]]
[[Category:Animal tales]]
[[Category:Short stories about talking animals]]
[[Category:Characters in children's literature]]
[[Category:Indian children's literature]]
[[Category:Mumbai in fiction]]

Bakor Patel - Revision history

Snehasis at 03:42, 12 January 2026