Скачать или смотреть 🍬 Rasgulla: Odisha vs. Bengal – The Sweet Battle of Origins!

🍬 Rasgulla: The Sweet Origins! 🍬

🌟 The Odisha Connection: The Divine Rasgulla 🌟
According to historians from Odisha, Rasgulla originated in Puri as Khira Mohana, which later evolved into the famous Pahala Rasgulla. This sweet treat has been traditionally offered as bhog to Goddess Lakshmi at the Jagannath Temple in Puri for centuries. The legend goes that during Lord Jagannath's 9-day Rath Yatra, Goddess Lakshmi becomes upset because He leaves without her consent. To appease her, Lord Jagannath offers Rasgullas upon his return. This ritual, known as Bachanika, is part of the "Niladri Bije" ceremony, marking the deities' return to the temple after the Rath Yatra. Jagannath Temple scholars suggest that this tradition dates back to the 12th century when the present temple structure was built. It's even mentioned in ancient texts like the Niladri Mahodaya and Jagamohana Ramayana of Balaram Das from the 15th century!

Moreover, folklore from Pahala, a village near Odisha’s capital Bhubaneswar, tells of how a surplus of milk led villagers to create this sweet to avoid wastage. The village eventually became a hub for chhena-based sweets, with Rasgulla at the forefront.

🍭 The Bengal Connection: Nabin Chandra Das and the Birth of Rashogulla 🍭
Fast forward to 1868, and Rasgulla finds a new identity in Bengal. Nabin Chandra Das, a confectioner from Kolkata, is credited with popularizing the version we now know as Rashogulla. This delicate, spongy treat quickly became synonymous with Bengali cuisine, earning it a special GI (Geographical Indication) tag.

While some believe that Odia cooks employed in Bengali homes might have introduced the Rasgulla recipe to Bengal, there is no substantial evidence to support this theory. Bengali food historians argue that there were no references to chhena (the main ingredient in Rasgulla) in India before the 17th century, making the sweet’s origin in Bengal a matter of pride and history.