The West Bengal Government has decided to observe ‘Rosogolla Day’ on November 14 to commemorate the first anniversary of the State’s achievement of Geographical Indication (GI) tag for its ‘Banglar Rosogolla’. This would be a festival similar to Odisha’s ‘Rasagola Dibas’ being observed over past few years.
As part of the West Bengal celebrations, varieties of Rosogollas would be showcased in stalls of the ‘Mishti Hub’ at the Eco Park in Kolkata. There would also be discussions on the history of Rosogolla at the place, an official said.
Notably, Odisha has been celebrating ‘Rasagola Dibas’ on the Niladri Bije day of Lord Jagannath and His siblings each year since 2015. The day is observed in Odisha to reaffirm the birth of the syrupy dessert in Odisha and cherish its link to the Jagannath culture.
The Odisha Government has also submitted the required documents seeking GI tag for ‘Odisha Rasagola’ in February this year. The status of the application is yet to come in public domain.
The centuries-old sweet dish has its roots in the Odia culture and tradition as evident from the Niladri Bije ritual of Lord Jagannath at the end of Ratha Yatra where the Lord offers the sweet to Mahalakshmi to pacify her anger. It is believed that Lord Jagannath tries to appease His consort after he returns to his abode after a nine-day vacation without her in company.
Experts have claimed of Rasagola being cited in the ‘Dandee Ramayana’, the Odia adaptation of the Valmiki Ramayana by sage poet Balaram Das, the eldest of the Panchasakha in the 15th century.
Further, the Dandee Ramayana has featured in World e-Book of 1921 published by the Calcutta University which has mention of Rasagola’s association with traditions and practices associated with Lord Jagannath.