Odisha on Saturday observed “Rasagola Dibasa”, which is marked as the day to remember the origin and history of the sweet that is intrinsically connected with the Shree Jagannath culture.

Thousands of devotees were seen offering rasagolas to the three deities mounted on their chariots in Puri. They later distributed the sweet among friends and well-wishers.

Eminent scholar and journalist Asit Mohanty told The Telegraph: “Rasagola is associated with the Shree Jagannath culture since time immemorial. When Lord Jagannath returns to Shree Jagannath Temple after completing his nine-day sojourn from Gundicha temple (birthplace), he offers rasagola to his wife Goddess Laxmi to placate her. Only then does she allow him to re-enter the shrine. The ritual is still being followed.”

Mohanty said: “The word rasagola is found in the 15th century Dandi Ramayan and other scriptures, which proves that rasagola belongs to Odisha.” Among the three deities, elder brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Subhadra entered the temple in a procession amid the bursting of crackers but Lord Jagannath was allowed to enter only after he had offered rasagola to Laxmi in front of the 12th-century temple.

Thousands of devotees turned up at Puri to witness the ritual, which is called “Mana Bhanjan”. Though the deities had returned to the temple on Thursday, they remained on the chariots till Saturday.

Devotees offer rasagola to the deities in Puri on Saturday.

Senior servitor of the Shree Jagannath Temple, Ramkrushna Das Mohapatra, narrated how this sweet is linked to the Jagannath culture. “Goddess Laxmi is angry and upset as Lord Jagannath leaves the temple with his brother and sister without taking her on the Rath Yatra. According to the legend, Lord Jagannath offered rasagola to pacify her for taking her along. The entry of the deities to the temple is known as Niladri Vijee. It has a message to the world — always try to keep your wife happy.”

Most shops in Puri did brisk business on Saturday by selling rasagolas as almost all devotees coming to Puri offer this sweet to the deities as a mark of their devotion. Odisha and Bengal had been locked in a fight on the origin of the sweet. Later, both states got the GI tag (geographical indication) tag for the mouthwatering culinary delight made of cottage cheese.

While Bengal got the GI tag for “Banglar Rosogolla” in November 2017, the delicious sweet from Odisha received the GI tag for “Odisha Rasagola” in July 2019. According to the Geographical Indication Registry, the sweets from Odisha and Bengal have different tastes and structures. The GI tag under the World Trade Organisation identifies a product as originating from a particular place.