Indian GI Registry says rosogolla originated in West Bengal, rejects Odisha’s claim

The Chennai-based Indian Geographical Indications (GI) Registry on Tuesday announced that rosogolla originated in West Bengal, handing the Bangla-speaking state a victory against Odisha after a bitter two-and-a-half-year-long battle over where one of the most famous sweetmeats in the Indian subcontinent was invented. “It has been settled under the GI Act that authenticates a product relating to either a geographical location or community or society,” the Hindustan Times quoted Sanjay Bhattacharya, deputy controller of patents and designs in Kolkata, as saying. “Sweet news for us all. We are very happy and proud that #Bengal has been granted GI ( Geographical Indication) status for rosogolla,” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted.

Sweet news for us all. We are very happy and proud that #Bengal has been granted GI ( Geographical Indication) status for Rosogolla

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) November 14, 2017

Abdur Rezzak Mollah, food processing minister in the state’s Cabinet, told the Hindustan times that he was “happy and relieved.” Mollah said last week the state government will not “let Odisha claim the credit” for developing the rosogolla. “Bengal is the origin of rosogolla... We have decided to move to court. Let the court decide. We will pursue the matter till the very end,” Mollah had said. “Odisha unnecessarily raised a dispute over the issue,” said Partha Chatterjee, education minister. The battle intensified in 2015, when Odisha’s science and technology minister Pradip Kumar Panigrahi had told media that more than one committee set up to trace the origin of the syrupy sweet pointed to “conclusive evidence” that rosogolla had existed in the state for about 600 years. The West Bengal government quoted 19-century history to claim rosogolla was invented by Nabin Chandra Das, a famous sweetmeat maker, in 1868. Odisha, on the other hand, said historical research proved “rasagolla” originated in Puri. Its first avatar was “kheer mohana,” which later evolved as “pahala rasagolla.” “We will scrutinise the GI order. I shall hold a meeting with the ministers of Odisha government as well as with my party leaders to decide the future course of action. The door of the courts is always open,” Biju Janata Dal legislator from Puri, Maheswar Mohanty, said. The debate over the origin of the rosogolla is not merely about Bengali and Odishan sentiments. The bragging rights may translate into good business for confectioners in the two states.