Bakor Patel

Bakor Patel is children's literature character created by Hariprasad Vyas for funny animal stories published by Gandiv, a children's biweekly in Gujarati language published by Gandiv Sahitya Mandir, Surat, Gujarat, India. The humorous stories about Bakor Patel written by Vyas which first appeared in 1936 and continued till 1955. The stories include other anthropomorphic characters including his wife, Shakri Patlani. The stories were accompanied with an illustration and title printed in typical typography which were drawn by two Surat based artist brothers, Tansukh and Mansukh.[1][2] The character became the icon of Gujarati children's literature and was adapted into a children's play.

Bakor Patel
Bakor Patel depicted as an anthropomorphic goat reading newspaper and wearing paghadi, kurta and dhoti
First appearance1936
Last appearance1955
Created byHariprasad Vyas
PublisherGandiv by Gandiv Sahitya Mandir, Surat
ArtistsTansukh, Mansukh, V. Ramanuj
LanguageGujarati
In-universe information
SpeciesGoat
GenderMale
OccupationBusinessman
SpouseShakri Patlani
Significant otherVaghjibhai Vakil, Hathishankar Dhamdhamiya, Untadiya Vaidya
ChildrenNo

Characters and story

Bakor Patel is a goat depicted as middle aged businessman living in Bombay with his goat wife Shakri Patlani. He has no siblings and children. There is no information regarding his parents. He has business firm in Bombay trading with firms in Japan. He lives upper middle class life in 1940-50s and owns bungalow and car. His friends include other anthropomorphic animals like a tiger as lawyer, Vaghjibhai Vakil; an elephant, Hathibhai Dhamdhamiya; a camel as doctor, Untadiya Doctor; a pundit, Timu Pandit; Jiraf Joshi; Bankubhai and several others. Sometimes spouses of the characters and some female characters like Khushaldoshi are depicted.[1][3][4]

The stories take places in Bombay of 1940s and 1950s. Bakor Patel is depicted as social family person who travels for business and enjoy his time with family and friends back home. He has mature relationship with his wife, Shakri Patlani. He seeks small adventures in his regular life and tries and experiences things which mostly go wrong in the end. He still joyfully accepts failures of his adventures and continues the next. His family and friends accompany in his adventures and shares the delight.[1]

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.[1]

Hariprasad Vyas wrote these light humorous stories on suggestion of Natwarlal Malvi which first appeared in 1936 and continued till 1955.[1] 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 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.[5] 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.[1][3]

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.[1][6][7] 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.[1]

Adaptation

Bakor Patel, a children's play based on the character was produced by the Indian National Theatre, Mumbai.[8]

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
  1. Kothari, Urvish (1 March 2004). "બકોર પટેલ : એકવીસમી સદીમાં". gujarati world (in Gujarati). Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  2. Suresh Joshi (16 October 2012). "વ્યાસ હરિપ્રસાદ મણિરાય, Vyas Hariprasad Maniray". ગુજરાતી પ્રતિભા પરિચય (in Gujarati). Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  3. The Indian P.E.N. 1955. p. 399.
  4. The Illustrated Weekly of India. Published for the proprietors, Bennett, Coleman & Company, Limited, at the Times of India Press. October 1974. p. 33.
  5. Trivedi, Shraddha (2000). Thaker, Dhirubhai (ed.). ગુજરાતી વિશ્વકોશ [Gujarati Encyclopedia] (in Gujarati) (1st ed.). Ahmedabad: Gujarat Vishwakosh Trust. pp. 12–13.
  6. Aryan Path. 1949. p. 220.
  7. Urmila Jhaveri (10 February 2014). Dancing With Destiny: Memoir. Partridge Publishing India. p. 40. ISBN 978-1-4828-1043-1.
  8. Lal, Ananda (2004). "Indian National Theatre". The Oxford companion to Indian theatre. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780195644463.001.0001. ISBN 978-0195644463. OCLC 56986659 – via Oxford Reference.
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