The Geographical Indication (GI) Registry has issued a notice to the West Bengal State Food Processing and Horticulture Development Corporation, asking why the GI recognition given to ‘Banglar Rosogolla’ be not withdrawn.
Reacting to an application for rectification or removal filed by Ramesh Chandra Sahoo, chairperson of the Bhubaneswar-based Regional Development Trust, the GI Registry office in Chennai served this notice to West Bengal.
Through this petition, Mr. Sahoo had objected to the GI status procured by West Bengal for ‘Banglar Rosogolla’ four months ago. He had also questioned the data and documents provided by West Bengal for getting GI tag for this famous sweet. He had also pointed out that Odisha was not given a chance to explain its stance when the West Bengal State Food Processing & Horticulture Development Corporation applied for GI status.
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Odisha Small Industries Corporation (OSIC) applied for GI tag for ‘Odisha’s Rasagola’ on January 23 this year. This application includes historical evidence seeking to prove that this famous sweet made up of cheese was part of the offering in Sri Jagannath Temple of Puri at least five centuries ago.
“With the emergence of more and more historical evidences, it is proven that the rasagola had originated in Odisha as a special offering at the Sri Jagannath Temple of Puri. Later its preparation technique had reached West Bengal and other parts of the country,” said cultural researcher Asit Mohanty, who has played a key role in collection of historical and literary evidences for the ‘Odisha’s Rasagola’ GI tag application.
Earlier this month, Indian Post released a cover titled ‘Rasagola in Sri Jagannathji’s cuisine’.
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Odia poet and seer Balaram Das has also mentioned the sweet in his Odia Ramayana. According to it, Lord Jagannath offers this sweet every year to Goddess Lakshmi on the last day of the Rath Yatra to appease her. Temple records also mention the use of ‘rasagola’ as a special offering since centuries.