Fight over Rosogolla? Not sweet!

What does the sweet Rosogolla bring to mind? An explosion of sweetness, Bengal, and a general feeling of goodness. But were you aware that there is actually a major tussle over this very sweet between two states – Odisha and West Bengal?

We have always associated Rosogolla with West Bengal, so one could help but wonder how did Odisha comes into the picture at all? There is a 100-years old Rosogolla Bhavan in Kolkatta, owned by KC Das, who say that it was an invention years ago by the great-great-grandfather of its present generation.

Odisha on the other hand says that the sweet was invented by Nobin Das. Their claim is that this was the sweet made for the ritual of Rath Yatra where Lord Jagannath offers sweets to his consort Lakshmi Devi to pacify her for not being taken along during the chariot ride.

This has naturally created a ruckus in West Bengal. Somehow, this sweet could convey nothing but West Bengal; they are synonyms. Thus the Mamata Banerjee government has sprung into action and is taking quick steps to get a Geographical Indication (GI) registration for the rosogolla.

Now you can say that you have truly read the most bizarre tussle ever!