Odisha seems to be losing the battle over the rasagola, voted as the national dessert in a nationwide poll, to its neighbour West Bengal.
When the dispute arose over the origins of the most-loved sweet a few weeks ago, Odisha had everything going in its favour. The State Government initiated a move to get geographical indication (GI) status for the famous Pahala Rasagola. It had the centuries-old recorded history of the Shree Jagannath temple, where the sweet is supposed to have been first used, to back its claim. Odisha even had some Bengali historians and authors backing its claim as the place of the rasagola’s origin.
But now, West Bengal is stealing a march over Odisha. Sources said the West Bengal Government has readied its dossier on the sweet and would soon file its claim for the GI tag to its rasagola while the Odisha Government is yet to prepare the required documents. The Odisha Government is yet to form a society, which is a basic requirement for GI tag.
The dispute started after the Odisha Government initiated its move to get GI recognition for the Pahala Rasagola in July this year. Both Odisha and West Bengal Governments claimed the rasagola to be their own.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has called upon select famous sweet sellers of her State to help in the battle over the rasagola. An official of the West Bengal Science and Information Technology department is all set to visit Chennai to file their claim for GI registration for the sweet.
According to the West Bengal Government’s claim, rasagola-making started in Bengal in 1868. Since its history is older, rasagola belongs to West Bengal.
On the other hand, the Odisha Government argues that the taste and making process of the Pahala Rasagola is different; therefore, it should be given the GI tag.
Rasagola-making started at Pahala, not far from Bhubaneswar, about 60 to 70 years back, which is much later than that of West Bengal.
So, getting a GI registration for the Pahala Rasagola seems difficult. But the Odisha government, without understanding the issue properly, is all out to claim the GI tag for Pahala Rasagola.
Every year, on the day of Niladri Vijay (the deities’ return to the temple) after the Rath Yatra, lord Jagannath offers his consort Goddess lakshmi rasagolas to pacify her for not taking her along during the chariot ride. The tradition is at least 300 years old, which is much longer than the 150-year history of the Bengal’s rasagola.
The only way Odisha can win the battle is by resting its case on this centuries-old (some historians say it is 700 years old!) tradition rather than the Pahala Rasagola. But the Odisha Government is yet to collect documentary evidence on this account.
The question is why the Odisha Government, instead of claiming that the rasagola originated in the Jagannath temple, is stressing on the Pahala brand of rasagola.
According to Odisha Industries Department Director Nityananda Palai, plans are afoot to get GI registration for the Pahala Rasagola on the ground of its distinctive taste, and necessary documents for the purpose are being collected.
To get GI registration, a businessman or an institution has to stake the claim while the Government can only provide assistance, he said. For the purpose, it’s being planned to form a society comprising rasogola traders of Pahala, which would be registered within two to three days, he said.
Commenting on West Bengal’s claim, Palai said it can be challenged later. Odisha does not have documentary proof on rasagolas being offered to lord Jagannath. The Culture Department might be having it, he added.