By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, August 28, 2016 : The Odisha government will soon set up a high level committee to finalise the process to apply for Geographical Indication (GI) status for the syrupy dessert Rasagola.

The committee will be constituted under the chairmanship of director micro, small, medium enterprises including members of other departments like science and technology, industries, culture and also experts from agriculture and food engineering department of Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology [OUAT] for further follow up action for filing application for the GI tag.

Both Odisha and West Bengal governments are at loggerheads over the origin of Rasagola, which is made from Indian cottage cheese.

“We have recently got some concrete documentary evidences of Rasagola that has been mentioned in 15th century Dandi Ramayan. So the search for the origin of Rasagola in Odisha has been ended successfully. Now it is time to apply for the Geographical Indications (GI) in favour of ‘Rasagola of Odisha’,” said science and technology minister Pradeep Panigrahy.

West Bengal has already sought GI registration in favour of ‘Banglar Rassogolla’ in September last year and also moved to court over the issue. The first hearing of the case took place in a court in Kolkata on August 22.

“We are not aware of any court case over Rasagola nor have we received any court notice or letter from the West Bengal government in this regard ever,” said minister Panigrahy.

The committee will initiate action to apply for GI tag for Rasagola in favour of Odisha after collecting all relevant information. The information will include the list of Rasagola producers of Odisha, specifications and ingredients of the confection, geographical area of production and different types of Rasagola available in the state.

The committee would also collect information on the method of preparation with a pictorial flow chart and the uniqueness of Rasagola in Odisha.

Renowned Jagannath cult scholar Asit Mohanty has already submitted a 100-page report claiming that the confection originated in Odisha. In the report to the state government, he contended that the sweet’s reference was found in Dandi Ramayana, a version of the epic adapted by Balaram Das in the 16th century.

The report claimed that the sweet was being offered to gods in mutts and temples for over 600 years.

Mohanty refuted the argument of Haripad Bhowmik of West Bengal that cottage cheese belongs to Bengal as they learnt the technique of its preparation from the Portuguese.

He said traditionally, Rasagola is offered at the time of Niladri Bije, the ritual in which the deities are brought inside the temple from the chariots on the concluding day of the Rath Yatra.