Kendrapara: The famous sweet dish ‘Rasabali’ of Kendrapara district has been accorded GI (Geographical Indication) on Tuesday (Oct 3).
The ‘Rasabali Nirmata Sangha’ in Kendrapara was the first to demand GI tag for the delicacy in 2021. Later, a delegation from Odisha, led by Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Singh along with Munna Khan and Mamata Mohanta met Union Minister Piyush Goyal and submitted a memorandum demanding GI tag for ‘Rasabali’.
The memorandum had mentioned the history and present status of the dessert and claimed that according GI tag to it will boost the economic growth in Kendrapara district.
According to researchers Niranjan Mekap and Anita Sabat, ‘Rasabali’ as a sweetmeat was in use since medieval times during the erstwhile King Anangabhima Deva’s reign. During his rule, 32 varieties of ‘Rasabali’ were being used as an offering at the Sri Baladevjew Temple in Kendrapara and it still continues.
Various couplets, mythological scriptures like ‘Dandi Ramayan’ and family chronology of the Ganga dynasty ‘Ganga Banshanucharita’ have many pages on ‘Rasabali’. It has been stated that the origin of ‘Rasabali’ is in Kendrapara district.
Earlier the sweetmeat used to be prepared only inside the temple as an offering to the deities. However, ‘Rasabali’ now has transcended boundaries and is easily available all over this town and other parts of Odisha.
The preparation of ‘Rasabali’ is a complex process. It is prepared with cheese, ghee, milk and green cardamom. Only a trained confectioner will be able to prepare this delicacy and make it tasty.
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