Vora Patel

Vohra Patel or Vora Patel (Gujarati વોહ્રા પટેલ) is a community of Sunni Muslim belonging to the Patel family, originally from Gujarat, India, particularly from the Bharuch District. Some members of Vora Patel community migrated to Pakistan after independence and settled in Karachi, Sindh.

The towns and villages in Bharuch and Surat where Vohras reside are not as heavily populated as they once were, as many have migrated abroad, to various countries including the Middle East, Europe, Australia America and Africa.

The United Kingdom is home to the largest population of Vohras outside of Bharuch. Vohras from Bharuch ('Bharuchies') initially settled in the mill towns of Lancashire where many still reside in large numbers. Although primarily situated in the mill towns of Blackburn, Bolton and Preston, there are also large communities in Dewsbury, Leicester and parts of East London. Many Vohras moved to East London during the early eighties as mills began to shut down during the Thatcher period.

Vohras also began to migrate to North America in the early eighties and communities are now found in Chicago, USA and in Toronto in Canada. A large and successful Vohra community is found in Zambia where the first migrants from Bharuch came in the early 1900's.The pioneer being the late Haji Ebrahim Dudhia (Sitpon).Others who followed included the late Haji Ismail Zumla (Halderva), Late Ahmed Nagerseth (Sitpon), Late Umerjee Adam (Achod),Late Yousuf's (Nabipur). Today there is a growing Vohra community in Wanda, South Africa.

Common dishes of Vohras include kichry curry and dal-gosht (lentils with meat) and boiled rice (chaval).

The expatriate community in England is coming under scrutiny as they, like many new arrivals in England appear not have integrated with the indigenous community or with other communities. They are known to marry within their own community, have their own cemeteries, community centres and mosques. However this too is changing as some of the initial settlers are returning to Bharuch on retirement or have died, leaving second and third generations who are religious, but more progressive.

There are many positive contributions made by the Vohras in England and back home.Vohras have set up their own associations in their host countries which continue to fund physical and mental well being of those that they had left behind.In particular the villages and towns of Bharuch have been transformed by the money sent back. However, they are also criticised as they have not used their new-found wealth to set up businesses, factories or educational institutions in Gujarat.These would have benefited the Vohras, Muslims and wider Gujarati communities by providing long term, self-sustaining employment and advancement opportunities.

Some of the able and enterprising do not stay but move abroad as soon as they can. Vohras have become exporters of people from Bharuch.