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Rasagola Belongs to Odisha or West Bengal? The Debate Continues 

The Odia-Bangla tiff over Rasagola is not a thing that might see closure. 

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Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma

The Odia-Bangla tiff over rasagola is not a thing that might see closure. Adding to the timeless debate, a recent claim on the sweet by some Odia researchers has sparked controversy.

A Bengali movie ‘Rosogolla’ claims that the famous sweet comes from the West Bengal. Odia producer Akshay Parija has co-produced ‘Rosogolla’ a biopic on the life of Nobin Chandra Das, the inventor of rasagola.

Odia researchers say rasagola originated in Odisha. The 15th century Odia epic ‘Dandi Ramayan’ even mentions the name of the sweet.

“They claim the date of their rasagola is 1868. But as per our ‘Dandi Ramayan’ of Balaram Das, rasagola has very much existed in Odisha since the 15th Century. So how did Nobin Chandra Das invent it in Kolkata in the late 19th century? They have every right to make a biopic based on rasagola but if they portray distorted history, then they will definitely face trouble.”
Asit Mohanty, Jagannath Culture Researcher

Countering the accusations from fellow Odias that he tampered with the historical facts, Akshay Parija clarifies that the film in fact is a love story that is based in a village.

“It’s certainly not a biopic wherein it will tell the (story of the) life of Nobin Chandra Das. It’s a soft romantic story that dates back 200 years. It’s a typical village story. I would say it’s fiction.”
Akshay Parija, Film Producer
“Whether it’s a biopic of Nobin Chandra Das or not, that is immaterial. According to the producer of the film, it’s a fictional love story that leads to the making of rasagola. But as per a dialogue in the film, there is a mention about the invention of the sweet. The character who portrays Nobin Chandra Das says I will not only invent the sweet but also find the path.”
Asit Mohanty, Jagannath Culture Researcher

In November 2017, West Bengal got a geographical indication tag for ‘Banglar Rasogolla’ while Odisha’s application for GI tag is still being processed. Clearly, this sweet war is not over yet.

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Topics:  West Bengal   Bengali   Orissa 

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