Rasagola, the sweet delicacy of Odisha, got the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, signalling the end of the bitter battle with West Bengal over the origin of the famous Indian sweet.
Chennai based GI Registry has granted the GI tag to 'Odisha Rasagola'. The mouth-watering sweet has been registered under the Geographical Indication of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. The tag will remain valid till February 22, 2028.
The GI tag is a name or sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation of that origin.
Earlier, the Odisha Small Industries Corporation Limited had submitted the required documents for getting the GI status for 'Odisha Rasagola'.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed his happiness after Odisha received the GI tag for the sweet delicacy.
“Happy to share that #Odisha Rasagola has received GI Tag in Geographical Indication Registry. This mouth-watering culinary delight made of cottage cheese, loved across the world, is offered to Lord Jagannath as part of bhog since centuries,” Patnaik tweeted.
Odisha had moved the GI Registry for its version of the delicacy after West Bengal was awarded the GI tag for its variant 'Banglara Rasagulla' in November 2017.
Odisha had been claiming that the famous delicacy originated in the state years ago as it was first served at the Lord Jagannath Temple, the 12th-century shrine in Puri.
The word Rasagola was written in the 'Dandi Ramayana' by Odia poet Balaram Das in the 15th century. However, the Bengal Rasagola was introduced by Kolkata-based confectioner Nobin Chandra Das in 1868, said researcher on Jagannath Cult Asit Mohanty, who submitted a report to the state government.
West Bengal and Odisha have been engaged in a bitter legal battle over the origin of the Rasagola.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Orissa High Court in February 2018, seeking the GI tag for 'Odisha Rasagola' and scrapping the tag received by West Bengal.