Bhubaneswar: Coinciding with Lord Jagannath’s 'Niladri Bije' (temple entry rituals) following the annual Rath Yatra, Odisha observed 'Rasagola Dibasa' on Friday to underscore the significance of the sweet dish for its people.
The day is observed as 'Rasagola Dibasa' because, according to tradition, Lord Jagannath offers 'Rasagola' to His consort Maa Laxmi on this day to appease her anger.
According to mythology, Goddess Laxmi was angry with the Lord for not taking her in the Rath Yatra, said Bhaskar Mishra, a researcher in Shree Jagannath Culture.
Since July 30, 2015, people of Odisha have celebrated ‘Niladri Bije’ ritual as 'Rasagola Dibasa'. On this occasion, the Trinity is offered 'Rasagola' as 'bhog' before being taken into the sanctum sanctorum in the ceremonial ‘Pahandi’ procession.
Researcher Asit Mohanty explained that 'Rasagola' originated from Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri as ‘Khira Mohana’, which later evolved into 'Pahala Rasagola'. It has been traditionally offered as 'bhog' to goddess Lakshmi at the temple.
According to local legend, Goddess Laxmi locks Jai Vijay Dwar, one of the temple gates, and prevents the Lord’s entry into the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
Historically, references to 'Rasagola' can be traced to the late 15th century in Odia Ramayana written by Balaram Das, also known as Dandi Ramayana or Jagamohana Ramayana.
Over the years, 'Rasagola Dibasa' has evolved into a widely celebrated event, from villages to cities, with people exchanging the sweet dish to mark the occasion. Sweet shops also participate by preparing 'Rasagola' in different flavours, sometimes hosting competitions to showcase their culinary skills.
In 2019, Odisha received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for its version of 'Rasagola'.
—PTI