{{Short description|Court jester in 18th-century Bengal}} {{More citations needed|date=January 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}} {{Use Indian English|date=April 2023}} {{Infobox royalty | name = Gopal Bhar | title = [[Court Jester]] of Krishnanagar | image = Statue of Gopal Bhar 02.jpg | alt = | caption = Statue of Gopal Bhar at Krishnanagar, Nadia | birth_name = Gopal Chandra Pramanik{{citation needed|date=August 2025}} | birth_date = {{birth date text|23rd September 1701}} | birth_place = [[Ghurni]], [[Nadia Raj]], [[Bengal Subah|Bengal]], [[Mughal Empire]] | death_date = {{death year and age|1767|1701}} | death_place = [[Krishnanagar, Nadia|Krishnanagar]], Nadia Raj, Bengal (present-day [[West Bengal]], India) | occupation = [[Courtier]] and [[jester]] in the court of [[Krishnachandra Roy|Raja Krishnachandra Roy]] }} '''Gopal Bhar''' or '''Gopal [[Bhand]]'''<ref name=bpedia>{{Banglapedia|http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Bhand,_Gopal}}</ref> ({{langx|bn|গোপাল ভাঁড়}} {{IPA|bn|ˈɡopal bʱãˑɽ|}}) was an 18th-century figure in [[Bengal]] who is said to be a humorist or [[jester]] in the court of [[Krishnachandra Roy|Raja Krishnachandra Roy]] ({{reign|1710|1783}}), the king of [[Nadia Raj]].<ref name="bpedia" /><ref>Siegel, Lee (1987). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=d1qZhZz5RuEC Laughing Matters: Comic Tradition in India]''. University of Chicago Press, United States. {{ISBN|0-226-75691-2}}. pp. 314-318.</ref> Legends say that he was a part of the ''[[Navaratnas]]'' ({{lit|Nine-jewels}}) of Krishnachandra's court. His statue can still be seen in the Royal palace and in [[Ghurni]], Krishnanagar town. Gopal is believed to have possessed a keen intelligence.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/pti-feed/story/legendary-jester-gopal-bhar-to-be-poll-mascot-in-nadia-573498-2016-03-14|title=Legendary jester Gopal Bhar to be poll mascot in Nadia|date=14 March 2016|website=Indiatoday.in|access-date=16 February 2017}}</ref> Although the historicity of the figure remains disputed, he remains a revered character in Bangladesh and the Indian state of [[West Bengal]].
== Gallery == <gallery> File:Statue of Gopal Bhar 02.jpg| </gallery>
==Stories== Tales of his exploits are narrated in West Bengal and Bangladesh to this day in numerous short stories. Their origin may be traced to local oral cultures of humour. The stories are popular and humorous, often ridiculing figures of authority, including the king, Krishnachandra, himself. Many of his stories depict him coming up with inventive and clever answers to satisfy the whimsical requests of royal personages, such as the Maharaja and the Rani. In some stories, Raja Krishnachandra asks him to complete certain tasks specifically to test his intelligence, or to embarrass him in public. Gopal Bhar always rebuffs the attempt successfully. The application of humour never crosses over to the realm of direct disrespect, but manages to point out the weakness in the opponent's argument or conviction. As such, his stories are comparable with those of [[Birbal]], [[Tenali Raman]], [[Gonu Jha]] and [[Nasreddin]].{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}
==Historicity== There exists widespread debate over the historicity of the figure "Gopal Bhar". Gopal Bhar's name was not mentioned in [[Bengali literature]] before 19th century.<ref name="bpedia" /> A 1926 book ''Nabadwip-Kahini'' ({{lit|The Nabadwip Tales}}) written by Nagendranath Das, a self-claimed descendent of Gopal Bhar, mentions Gopal's summarized biography. According to the book, Gopal's birth name was Gopalchandra Nai, who came from a ''Napit'' family. He was a ''Bhandar'' (caretaker) of Krishnachandra's court, from where the word ''Bhand'' or ''Bhar'' came. Gopal's father, Dulalchandra Nai, was a ''[[Vaidya]]'' at [[Nawab of Murshidabad|Nawab]] [[Alivardi Khan]]'s court. Gopal's older brother Kalyan Dulal saved Prince (later Nawab) [[Siraj-ud-Daulah]]'s life from severe fever. After hearing about Gopal's intelligence, Raja Krishnachandra appointed him as his court jester. Nagendranath also claimed that there is an oil painting of Gopal at Krishnachandra's palace.<ref name="ittefaq" /><ref name="risingbd">{{cite web|title=গোপাল ভাঁড় কাল্পনিক চরিত্র নাকি সত্যিই ছিলেন|url=https://www.risingbd.com/feature/news/534107|website=risingbd.com}}</ref><ref name="eisamay" />
No reference for Gopal can be found in the writings of Bharatchandra Raigunakar and [[Ramprasad Sen]], both of whom were court poets in Raja Krishnachandra's court.<ref name="risingbd" /> According to ''[[Banglapedia]]'', there was a person named Shankar Taranga, who is known to have been a bodyguard of Raja Krishnachandra and whom the raja regarded highly because of his wisdom and courage.<ref name="bpedia" />
Despite the scarcity of evidence, researcher-journalist Sujit Roy supported the historical authenticity of Gopal Bhar, claiming that many documents about him had lost, destroyed or looted.<ref name="eisamay">{{cite web|title=ভোটবঙ্গে আচমকা সুপারহিট! গোপাল ভাঁড় কি কাল্পনিকই?|url=https://eisamay.com/west-bengal-news/krishna-nagar/is-gopal-bhar-real-detailed-discussion-as-his-name-is-taken-many-time-during-election-days/108889505.cms|website=[[Ei Samay]]|date=30 March 2024}}</ref> Prominent Bengali linguist [[Sukumar Sen (linguist)|Sukumar Sen]] opined:<ref name="ittefaq">{{cite web|url=http://www.ittefaq.com.bd/print-edition/kachikachar-asor/2016/05/13/119303.html|title=গোপাল ভাঁড়ের খোঁজে|trans-title=In the search of Gopal Bhar|first=Shoeb|last=Sorbonam|date=13 May 2016|website=[[The Daily Ittefaq|Ittefaq]]}}</ref><ref name="risingbd" /> {{blockquote|"The curiosity for Gopal Bhar among the modern [[Bengalis]] has given rise to a national tradition of folklore about this real or fictional person, and the seed of its arousal is the ''Bhar'' part of his name, by which many have identified the caste of Gopal considering the ''Bhar'' of Gopal Bhar to be a variant of the [[Sanskrit]] word ''Bhandar''. Whatever the arguments for and against, Gopal Bhar remains ingrained in Bengali humour and folk culture."}}
==Politics== On 20 February 2024, after [[2024 Bangladeshi general election]], [[Gono Odhikar Parishad]] leader [[Nurul Haq Nur]], criticising [[Sheikh Hasina]], claimed that the [[Jatiya Sangsad|Sangsad]] had turned into the "club of Gopal Bhar" where parliamentarians' work is to "entertain the king".<ref>{{cite web|title=বর্তমান সংসদ গোপাল ভাঁড়ের ক্লাবে পরিণত হয়েছে: নূর|url=https://www.dhakapost.com/politics/260836|date=20 February 2025|website=Dhaka Post}}</ref>
During [[2024 Indian general election]] campaign, [[Trinamool Congress]] supporters, including the West Bengal government minister Ujjwal Roy, slammed [[Bharatiya Janata Party|BJP]] MP candidate from Krishnanagar Amrita Roy, who is the titular queen of Krishnanagar, accusing her ancestor Raja Krishnachandra Roy for the death of Gopal Bhar. Although, historian Goutam Bhadra claimed that there is no proof that Raja Krishnachandra was responsible for the death of Gopal Bhar.<ref>{{cite web|title=পশ্চিমবঙ্গের লোকসভা নির্বাচনে গোপাল ভাঁড়ের 'হত্যা রহস্য'|url=https://www.prothomalo.com/world/india/zf8v4gc8ph|website=[[Prothom Alo]]|date=31 March 2025}}</ref><ref name="eisamay" />
==In popular culture== * ''Gopal Bhar (film)'', a Bengali comedy film directed by Amal Sur was released in 1980. In that film, [[Santosh Dutta]] portrayed the character of Gopal Bhar.<ref>{{cite news |title=Baba never got his due: Santosh Dutta |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/movies/news/Baba-never-got-his-due-Santosh-Dutta/articleshow/7139765.cms |access-date=5 May 2019 |work=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref> * ''Gopal Bhar (TV series)'', a Bengali television series was made where Raktim Samanta played the role of Gopal Bhar as a young child. The series aired on Star Jalsha from 2017 to 2018.<ref>{{cite news |title=Raktim Samanta gets nostalgic as 'Gopal Bhar' comes to an end |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/bengali/raktim-samanta-gets-nostalgic-as-gopal-bhar-comes-to-an-end/articleshow/65473543.cms |access-date=5 May 2019 |work=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref> * ''[[Gopal Bhar (Animated TV series)]]'', an animation series also popular in [[Sony Aath]] [[Youtube channel|YouTube channel]]. On [[YouTube]], more than 1000 [[episode]]s<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gopal Bhar - গোপাল ভার - (Bengali) {{!}} Sony Aath - YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?app=desktop&list=PL5O3zv2ZcASh8p9kUDsJ9I8q5BTTd0cmw |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=www.youtube.com}}</ref> are made and still counting.
==See also== * [[Gonu Jha]] * [[Tenaliram]] * [[Birbal]] * [[Nasreddin]]
==References== {{reflist}}
==Further reading== * {{cite book|author=Dutta, Swapna|year= 2004|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FxPQLR1Vx4YC|title=Tales of Gopal the Jester|publisher= Unicorn Books|isbn=81-7806-059-0}} * {{cite book|author=Sinha, Seema|year=2005|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kecoyqyg5wMC|title=Gopal Bhand|publisher=Children's Book Trust |isbn=81-7011-975-8}}
{{Humor and wit characters}}
[[Category:18th-century Indian people]] [[Category:Jesters]] [[Category:Humour and wit characters of India]] [[Category:Bengali Hindus]] [[Category:18th-century Bengali people]] [[Category:People from Krishnagar]] [[Category:1767 deaths]]