Bengal to celebrate ‘Rosogolla Day’ following Odisha’s footsteps
The West Bengal government has declared to observe ‘Rosogolla Day’ on November 14 to celebrate the first anniversary of the state’s achievement of Geographical Indication (GI) tag for its ‘Banglar Rosogolla’, an observance similar to‘Rasagola Dibasa’of Odisha.
According to news, As part of the celebrations, varieties of rosogollas would be showcased in stalls of the ‘Mishti Hub’ at the Eco Park in Kolkata. There will also be a discussion on the history of Rosogolla at the place.
Odisha has been celebrating ‘Rasagola Dibasa’ on Niladri Bije 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 government of Odisha 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 the public domain.
The dish is century old & has its roots in the Odia culture and tradition as evident from the Niladri Bije ritual of Lord Jagannath at the end of Ratha Jatra. on that day the Lord offers the sweet to Mahalaxmi 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.
Experts have claimed of Rasagola being cited in ‘Dandee Ramayana’, the Odia adaptation of the Valmiki Ramayana by sage poet Balaram Das, the eldest of the Panchasakha in the 15th century. Further, Dandee Ramayana has featured in World e-Book of 1921 published by Calcutta University which has mention of Rasgola’s association with traditions and practices associated with Lord Jagannath.
