Odisha celebrates 'Rasagola Divas' as Rath Yatra concludes

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday extended warm greetings on the occasion of 'Rasagola Divas' and Niladri Bije, the last day of the annual 12-day long Rath Yatra festival at Puri.

The holy siblings -- Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra -- return to their sanctum sanctorum inside the 12th century Jagannath temple on Niladri Bije.

"Many many greetings on the occasion of holy Niladri Bije and Rasagola Day. Chaturdhamurthy( Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and the celestial weapon of Lord Krishna, Sudarshan Chakra) will return to Ratna Singhasan after their nine-day-long sojourn. On this occasion, Lord Jagannath offers delicious Rasgulla to his beloved wife Goddess Laxmi to pacify her anger," said Chief Minister Majhi.

As per the centuries-old tradition, Niladri Bije, the homecoming ceremony of the deities -- Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Sudarshan -- are taken to the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine from their respective chariots with a ceremonial procession.

However, an angry goddess Laxmi closes the main doors of the temple and doesn't allow Lord Jagannath to enter the temple. Later, Lord Jagannath pacifies her anger by offering her Rasagola to get entry into the temple.

Following the row over the origin of Rasgulla, Odisha declared Niladri Bije as 'Rasagolla Divas' in 2015 and has been celebrating it since July 30 the same year.

Scholars of the Jagannath cult and traditions claimed that the sweet is mentioned as "Rasagola" in the 15th-century Odia text, Jagamohana Ramayana, of the famous poet and devotee Balaram Das.

It was earlier called 'Khira Mohana', which later came to be known as 'Pahala Rasagulla'.