Sweet victory: West Bengal wins Rosogolla battle, crushes Odisha's GI claim

New Delhi: West Bengal's famous Banglar Rasogolla has got Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the Indian patent office.

The state has trumped Odisha which had reportedly sought the coveted status for its rasogolla.

"Banglar Rasogolla from West Bengal gets Geographical Indication (GI) tag. It is a pure white, spongy ball of 'Chhana' dipped in light sugar syrup," CIPAM said in a tweet.

Banglar Rasogolla is a syrupy dessert popular in all over India and abroad.

An official said that there was no tussle or dispute between West Bengal and Odisha over the GI tag on the sweet. "West Bengal had applied for this and we have granted them," the official added.

The development assumes significance as the two states had claimed for getting the GI tag.

Odisha has claimed that the sweet originated from the Jagannath Temple in Puri, where it is a part of the religious rituals since the 12th century. Odisha calls it Pahala Rasgulla.

On the other hand, West Bengal had asserted that confectioner Nobin Chandra Das is widely known as the one, who created Rasgulla in the 1860s.

A GI is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. Such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness which is essentially attributable to its origin in that defined geographical locality.

Darjeeling Tea, Mahabaleshwar Strawberry, Blue Pottery of Jaipur, Banarasi Sarees and Tirupati Laddus are some of the GIs.

Cell for IPR Promotions and Management (CIPAM) works under the aegis of Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).