Bhubaneswar, June 30: Rasagola, the delicious syrupy sweetmeat, that has captivated the taste buds of countless souls over the generations, has become an integral part of Odia cuisine, rituals and folklore. And its significance gets multiplied as the delicacy is linked to the rituals of none other than the Lord of universe – Lord Jagannath. The Lord, on His return from Gundicha Temple, offers Rasagola to His consort Goddess Lakshmi, who is miffed for being left behind during the nine-day annual sojourn. The occasion is being observed as ‘Rasagola Diwas’ since 2015.
The ritualistic offering of Rasagola is not just about mending the hearts but also a celebration of love and forgiveness, symbolized by the humble delicacy. The day is celebrated across Odisha with much fanfare with preparation and sharing of the sweetmeat.
“Rasagola is known as the king of all sweets for a good reason which Lord Jagannath used to pacify His consort,” said Sarojini Mohanty, a resident of Puri.
“Our ancient rituals taught us how to deal with our miffed spouses too. Niladri Bije is the ceremony in which Lord Jagannath along with his siblings enters the Srimandir after returning from Gundicha Temple. Sri Lakshmi, consort of Lord Jagannath, lashes out at Him for being left behind at the Srimandir and not being part of the journey to Gundhicha Temple. She stands at the gate of the temple and permits Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Sudarshan to enter the temple while she shuts the temple gate for Lord Jagannath. In order to pacify her, Lord Jagannath offers her Rasagolas at Bijay Dwar and offers His appeal for an entry,” Sarojini stated.
“It is only on Ashadha Shukla Trayodashi day as per Odia almanac that Rasagolas are offered to the deities and a contrite Lord Jagannath is finally let inside the Srimandir,” she added.
Speaking about the significance of the day, another devotee said, “Rasagola was earlier called ‘Khira Mohan’ which is this creamish dessert made of cheese (chhena) and sweet syrup. ‘Khira Mohan’ was invented as an offering to Goddess Lakshmi.”
Rasagola has witnessed multiple fights between Odisha and West Bengal for its geographical indication (GI) tag which was finally granted to the states separately. The GI tag underscored the global recognition of Odisha’s culinary heritage, amplifying the state’s heritage and the sweetmeat’s popularity.
SMRUTI REKHA BARIK, OP