Rosogolla Belongs to Bengal, State Wins GI Tag Battle Against Odisha

Kolkata: It was a bitter battle that ended on a sweet note for Bengal. The Geographical Indications (GI) Registry on Tuesday announced that the ‘Rosogolla’, synonymous with the Bengali identity, originated in West Bengal and not Odisha.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee celebrated the news with a tweet saying: "Sweet news for us all. We are very happy and proud that Bengal has been granted GI ( Geographical Indication) status for Rosogolla."

The GI announcement came months after the Odisha government formed a panel to formally lay claims on ‘Rosogolla’, which has traditionally been identified with anything Bengali.

West Bengal and Odisha have been engaged in a bitter legal battle over the origin of the syrupy Rosogolla since June 2015.

Speaking to News18 from Chennai, Assistant Registrar of Trade Marks and GI, Chinnaraja G Naidu said, “Yes, today Bengal got the GI patent for Rosogolla. After a thorough study, we found that the juicy sweet ‘Rosogolla’ indeed originated from Bengal and not Odisha.”

State food processing Minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah welcomed GI announcement and said, “It was not merely a battle over Rosogolla, but a battle of pride and identity for Bengalis.”

The battle over Rosogolla turned even worse when Odisha’s Science and Technology Minister Pradip Kumar Panigrahi set up several committees in 2015 to trace the origin of 'Rosogolla'. They even went a step further to declare July 30 as ‘Rasagolla Dibasa’, to celebrate its origin.

Then Bengal government too then set up a committee and decided to fight the Odisha government's claims legally. The Mamata Banerjee government, while referring to 19th century origin of 'Rosogolla' argued that the quintessential Bengali delicacy was created by Nabin Chandra Das, a famous sweetmeat-maker in 1868.

Ganguram's owner, Ram Ji said, “It's a great relief for us. I would like to thank the concerned ministry for doing justice to us.” Ganguram is one of the most popular sweet chains in Kolkata that is famous for its 'Rosogollas'.

He said, “You just cannot define 'Rosogolla' by saying that it is a just a sweet. 'Rosogolla' is a part of our family. It is about joy, happiness. It is an essential part of our culture.”

Owner of famous sweetmeat chain KC Das, Dhiman Das said, “I don’t have enough words to thank the GI officials. We are in business for several decades and I knew 'Rosogolla' is our creation. This is a victory for all Banga Bashi”.