The month of July in the year 2019, gave Odisha a sweet memory beyond any doubt. Geographical Indication Registry at Chennai authorised Odisha the Rasagola GI tag by ending the unrelenting war between Odisha and West Bengal. The sweet cuisine, which is the root of this war, is a mythical association with the antiquity of Lord Jagannath culture of Puri. It is now a gospel truth that this sweet mouth-watering cuisine is proudly a part of the Jagannath temple culture, which has been continuing since time immemorial.
In Dandi’s ‘Ramayana’, the eminent poet Balaram Dasa has mentioned that Rasagola (or Rasgulla) was offered to the grand deities inside the Jagannath temple; hence it was written in the 15th century. This very well proves that Rasagola is associated with the sentiments of natives of Odisha both emotionally and traditionally. Even at the time of Niladri Bije, the saviour of our Earth, Grand Lord Jagannath himself tried to console his disgruntled wife Goddess Laxmi every year. With the grace of Lords, we should cherish the flavour of this sweet which has added incredible value to the victory of our state.
We should be proud of our deep-rooted culture and tradition and appreciate those who have paved a triumphant way to achieve such a parameter of success across the country. Undoubtedly, the taste of Rasagola has crossed all geographical barriers and boundaries.