Chhagan Bapa

Chhaganlal Karamshi Parekh popularly known as Chhagan Bapa (27 June 1894 – 14 December 1968) was an Indian social worker who worked for education, upliftment of poor, and social reform of women.

After, leaving Jharia in 1949, he spent almost a decade in Calcutta where he already had a house and offices for coal supply business.

At Bombay, he was inspiration and guide behind starting of Lijjat Papad in 1959, which is a noted women's cooperative. based at Mumbai. The friendship continued and later he, Jamnadas Khimji Kothari and Nanji Kalidas Mehta along with Hansraj Laxmichand Chadaramji came together to build a Gujrati Dhramshala at Haridwar, which was completed in 1952.

At Kutch During the earthquake of 1956 in Kutch, he worked relentlessly for the relief work, collecting funds and doing other humanitarian services. Shri Laxminarayan Temple at Kolkata, have named the guest house as Chhagan Bapa Athithi Gruh in memorial to him in 1976. The Gujarati Dharamshala at Haridwar, which he helped founding has named a building after him as Chhagan Bapa Smarak Bhawan Punyashlok Chhaganbapa: Godfather of Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad is biograbhy of him published by Lijjat Papad family in 1980.