Bhubaneswar: Amid the raging debate on the origin of Rasgulla, the Odisha government today raked up the fight by deciding to set up three committees to counter neighbouring West Bengal's claim over the sweet.
The state government will set up three committees to look into matters relating to Rasgulla, Science and Technology and Higher Education Minister Pradeep Panigrahi said.
The committees would have members from Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and Culture departments.
The first committee would look into facts and evidence regarding the origin of Rasgulla in Odisha, the second would study the ground, based on which West Bengal is making its claim. The third would collect necessary documents to support and validate Odisha's claim, Panigrahi said.
The minister said the committees would submit their reports within a week.
The pearly white, mouthwatering Rasgulla finds itself amid a controversy over its origin.
Most of the food historians in West Bengal believe it was invented in then Calcutta in 1868 by confectioner Nabin Chandra Das, whose son later founded the famous sweetmeat chain K C Das.
Whereas has staked claim on its invention saying it was invented in the holy city of Puri way back in the 13th century.
According to legends in Odisha, Lord Jagannath on Niladri Bije offered rasgullas to appease his consort Laxmi, who was upset after went on the nine-day Rath Yatra without her consent and locked the Jai Vijay Dwar, a gates of the temple.
Thousands of kilos of Rasgullas are offered to Laxmi as part of Niladri Bije, marking the end of the Rath Yatra in Puri.
(With inputs from PTI)
