November 14,2017:

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee tweeted that,“Sweet news for us all. We are very happy and proud that #Bengal has been granted the GI status for Rosogolla”.

On Tuesday, Geographical Indications (GI) registry has announced that Rosogolla (also known as rasgulla) originated in West Bengal, and not in Odisha.

It is a sweet victory for West Bengal after a bitter feud with the neighboring State Odisha over one of India’s most celebrated desserts.

Sanjay Bhattacharya who is Deputy Controller of the Patents and Designs in Kolkata stated that,“This has been settled under GI Act that authenticates the products to either geographical locations or to communities or societies,” thus declaring end to a tussle going back two-and-a-half years and a debate raging for many decades.

Battle for Rasogolla intensified in the year 2015 when Odisha’s Science and Technology Minister Pradip Kumar Panigrahi stated that more than one committee has been set up to trace origin of the sweet had pointed to the “conclusive evidence” that ‘Rosagolla’ (which is how the dessert is spelt in State) existed for about 600 years. Odisha contended that the historical research proved that ‘Rosagolla’ originated in Puri. Its first avatar was ‘kheer mohana’, which later evolved into ‘Pahala Rasagolla’.

In response to this, State of West Bengal quoted 19-century history to claim Rosogolla was invented by Nabin Chandra Das, a famous sweetmeat maker, in 1868.

Biju Janata Dal legislator from Puri, Maheswar Mohanty, stated that,“We will scrutinise GI order. I shall hold a meeting with Ministers of Odisha Government as well as with my party leaders to decide future course of action. Door’s of Courts are always open”.

One of the descendent of Nabin Chandra Das who has been claimed as inventor of “Rosogollo” thanked West Bengal Govt. for its proactive role in the fight.

Source - ptinews.com