india

Updated: Aug 19, 2019 20:02 IST

Three weeks after Odisha received the geographical indication (GI) tag for Odisha Rasagola, the most popular sweetmeat of the state, the organisation that had applied for the certification today celebrated it by distributing 50,000 pieces of the sweet.

The association of sweetmeat makers - Utkala Mistanna Byabasayee Samiti (UMBS) - had applied for GI tag for Rasagola along with Odisha State Industries Corporation (OSIC) in February last year. In a prestigious moment for the state, UMBS received the certification on July 29 for “Odisha Rasagola”, a sweet dumpling known for its juicy and non‐chewy feel that can be “swallowed without teeth pressure”.

To celebrate the achievement announcing West Bengal’s drubbing in the race for GI tag, UMBS distributed 50,000 Rasagolas at a public auditorium this morning. “This is the time to celebrate triumph of truth over lies and fake news that have been spread over the years,” said Samiti president Bimbadhar Behera, referring to West Bengal’s claim over Rasagola. The organisation members distributed the sweets to people who came to the auditorium between 10 am and 2 pm. Former mayor of Bhubaneswar and current MLA of Bhubaneswar(central) Anant Narayan Jena was also present for the celebration.

The organisation also demanded better market linkage for Rasagola and GI tag for other famous Odia sweetmeats like Feni, Chhena Gaja, Chhena Jhilli, Arisa and Rasabali.

Local entrepreneur Anita Sabat, who spearheaded the campaign on social media of GI tag for Odisha Rasagola said, “No one can deny Odisha’s continuing tradition and Puri Shree Jagannath Ratha Jatra’s link with Rasagola. In Odia, we say Ratha Jatra jebethu, Rasagola sebethu which means Rasagola is as old as the Ratha Jatra,” she said.

The GI tag for “Odisha Rasagola” describes it as a sweet with distinct taste made‐up of Chhena, which is very soft, juicy and non‐ chewy in consistency, cooked in sugar syrup in consistency and can be swallowed without teeth pressure. The colour development of Odisha Rasagola is specific, where without addition of external colour, various intensity coloured rasagolas are prepared using the principle of caramalisation of sugar with specific methods of preparation. Odisha Rasagola are white in colour with round shape and nonspherical, the GI certification said.

In February 2018, Odisha staked claim for the GI registration for Rasagola citing several references of the sweet in historical documents and mythologis like Dandi Ramayana, a version of the epic adapted by Balaram Das in the 16th century. In ‘Ajodhya Kanda’ of Dandi Ramayana, there are descriptions Bharata and Shatrughan going to the forest to bring Lord Rama back and stopping at the abode of sage Bharadwaj. The sage served them Rasagola among several other sweets. To buttress its claims, it showed Record of Rights of the 12th century Jagannath temple which said in age-old ritual of “Niladri Bije”, the sweet was traditionally offered to Goddess Lakshmi on behalf of Lord Jagannath.

In November 2017, West Bengal had received its GI tag for “Banglar Rasgulla” setting off a war of words between the social media users of the two States over the origin of the sweet. While Odisha said Rasagola was served in the 12th century Lord Jagannath temple, much before Bengal knew about it, the neighbouring State claimed Rasgulla was invented by Nobin Chandra Das at his Kolkata residence and its version of Rasagola was completely different from the Odisha one.