#RasagolaDibasa : The Spelling Is RASAGOLA

Rasagola has a historical and cultural link with Odisha, a state of eastern India.
Read about 'Rasa', Rasakora, Rasabara, Rasagola in Odia Dictionary here.

Rasagola is a centuries-old Mahaprasad of Puri Jagannath Temple that is offered to Lord Jagannath and His wife, Mahalakshmi, every year on Niladri Bije, the last day of Ratha Jatra (Car Festival). 
However, most of the world is still unaware about the real origin of Rasagola.

Following the Banglar Rasogolla GI tag in November last year, there has been blatant misinformation. 
Even pink papers like the Economic Times and sites like the Conde Nast Traveller have presented distorted and misleading reports.
You can read these posts for more- "Battle" Over Rasgulla - Misleading Media Reports 
 & Rasagola Project #RasagolaProject

Why is it that no national media reports news about Rasagola in Shree Jagannathji's cuisine?
Why all the national papers did not find this interesting for publication- that this special cover has been released by the Department of Posts?

Palanquin Carried Special Cover for Rasagola Released by the Department of Posts at Puri Head Post Office, Odishahttps://t.co/xTBSRCH2Ik#AToZChallenge #BlogchatterA2Z #Post #IndiaPost #SriJagannath #Cuisine #Food #OdishaRasagola #RasagolaProject #Rasgulla #Rasogolla #Rosogolla pic.twitter.com/nufdKs9HF8

— Dr. Anita Sabat (@anitaexplorer) April 19, 2018

No Postal Stamp For The "Inventor of Rosogolla"

Who is the 'Inventor of the Rosogolla'?
If you answered, Nobin Chandra Das, then please note that it is not the correct answer.

 

Following the Banglar Rasogolla GI tag, unfortunately many are misinformed owing to the bombardment of biased and misleading information via news-reports and videos shared by most media. 

Articles claim that Nobin Chandra Das "invented the Rosogolla in 1868" and that 2018 is the 150th year of the "Invention of Rosogolla"! It may be mentioned that apart from the so-called "Invention of Rosogolla in Calcutta, Bengal, in 1868", there is no evidence in this regard except a stone plaque erected in 1968 in K.C.Das's family home in Baghbazar, Calcutta, to commemorate the "centenary celebration of Rosogolla invention".

The plaque states:

"The  famous institution of the inventor of Rosogolla, Mr Nobin Chandra Das, was located here. The institution was shut down by the order of the government banning production of milk sweets in 1965. this stone inscription commemorates the centenary of the invention of Rosogolla: 1868-1968."

As per Biswanath Ghosh's article published in The Hindu dated November 12, 2015:

“There is no historical evidence — and there can never be one — to prove that the rossogolla originated in West Bengal, even though the K.C. Das family claims that it was ‘invented’ by their ancestor, Nobin Chandra Das, in erstwhile Calcutta. Their claim, in fact, is cast in stone. Their family home in Baghbazar bears a plaque...It must have taken countless trials and errors, spanning several decades if not a century or two, before we got the first flawless rossogolla. To say that Nobin Chandra Das invented it would be as good as saying that Baba Ramdev introduced yoga in India.”

The Rasagola Project #RasagolaProject

Do you know that Mahabalipuram Stone Sculpture earned the GI (Geographical Indications) tag on Children's Day this year?
Yes, on the same day when Banglar Rasogolla earned the GI tag!

One of the newspapers of India had found this news important enough to be reported on 14th November 2017. A few others reported the same news the next day.

Sweet Fake News On Children's Day

But, in stark contrast, on 14th November 2017, most news channels and media-houses focused on the news that West Bengal had won the GI tag for 'ROSOGOLLA/RASGULLA'!
Why the special status and attention to Rasagola?
All of them reported that Bengal has won the Rosogolla war against Odisha. Most of them spread misleading & fake news. 

From the news-reports, netizens and viewers inferred that 'Odisha has lost' and 'Odisha's claim for Rosogolla has been rejected' by the authorities of the GI Registry. 
How Odisha's claim has been rejected when the state has NOT submitted her application towards GI tag for Rasagola?
But, the readers and viewers were given incorrect gyaan:

Finally a decision, rosogolla belongs to Bengal, not Odisha
Read: https://t.co/SXvCkt4h04 pic.twitter.com/pZlqF9cDq9

— NDTV (@ndtv) November 14, 2017

Bengal's Gain Is Not Odisha's Loss

The next day, some papers reported that GI authorities had stated that Odisha can also apply for a tag.

Though some papers presented updated news, yet some information was wrong or kept hidden.
Note- Pahala Rasagola is not the only variety of Rasagola available in Odisha and it's not just brown, as it is available in off-white colour too!

Odisha’s Pahala rasgulla is different from the Banglar rasogolla; it is brown, soft and not spongy, and usually has a thinner syrup. #FPTrending #Rasgulla #Rasogolla pic.twitter.com/E6gRLWC3LO

— Firstpost (@firstpost) November 15, 2017

Plus, as per the GI authorities, despite the Banglar Rasogolla GI tag, the Rasagola origin debate is yet to be settled.

Chill! Rasagola belongs to India & to the Mouth & Stomach!

When anyone tries to question the incorrect news-reporting and stresses on the uncomfortable truth, conflict-managers & peace-lovers step in to dissipate tensions and to spread cheer saying there's no reason for a war!
"Rasagola tastes as good in all the states!" 
"Rasagola doesn't belong to any state, it's an Indian sweet!" 
"Rasagola belongs only to the mouth & stomach!"
Why the special status and attention to Rasagola?

If GI wasn't important, hundreds of applications wouldn't have been submitted for GI registration by the states so far.
Subsequent to West Bengal's products including Banglar Rasogolla, a number of products from Bihar and Rajasthan have also earned the GI tag.

Loopholes in the Banglar Rasogolla Application

There are some loopholes in the GI Application that Odisha can challenge.

The Rasagola Project 

As per some news-reports, there seems to be no intention to challenge the Banglar Rasogolla GI tag. Can a project ensure that the truth comes to light?

#RasagolaProject ??!*#!??

The Rosogolla Race: Odisha’s Inaction, West Bengal’s Gain

How many of us know that the Gobindobhog rice, grown in West Bengal for the past 300 years in Bardhaman district, got the Geographical Indication (GI) status in August 2017? 

Or that two other Bengali sweets- Bardhaman Sitabhog and Bardhaman Mihidana also got the GI tag this year? Did the media and state’s CM share the above “sweet news” so competitively?

 

But, notice the GI tag victory claim for "Banglar Rasogolla" ("Bengal's Rasogolla or Rasogolla of Bengal") that has a Banglar history of just 149 years (1868-2017) !

In stark contrast, Odisha's Jagannath Temple in Puri has an 800 years old cultural association with Rasagola.
Even now Rasagola is offered as bhog during Niladri Bije, the last day of Ratha Jatra.
As per tradition, Niladri Bije is the only day when Rasagola is offered as bhog to Lord Jagannath.

My SandArt at PuriBeach in Odisha for #RasagolaDibasa . It is celebrated on NiladriBije of Lord #Jagannath pic.twitter.com/BDCcScsavL

— Sudarsan Pattnaik (@sudarsansand) July 16, 2016