Odisha celebrated Rasagolla Dibasa on Tuesday, marking the return of the sibling deities, Lord Balabhadra, Goddess Subhadra and Lord Jagannath, to their abode in the 12th-century shrine in Puri after the annual Rath Yatra.
Rasagolla Dibasa is celebrated on 'Niladri Bije', the ritual of the deities' return to the temple, as they are ceremonially offered the sweet on this day.
Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik greeted the people on the occasion.
"On the occasion of Niladri Bije and Rasagolla Dibasa, heartfelt greetings to all devotees and residents of Odisha. Niladri Bije and Rasagolla Dibasa are a vibrant reflection of Odia culture, devotion, and pride. May everyone receive the blessings of the Lord on this sacred tradition. Jai Jagannath," the governor said.
'Niladri Bije' has been celebrated as Rasagolla Dibasa since 2015.
"In the early days, the sweet was known as 'Khira Mohan' in the temple. It is the same as rasagolla," said researcher Asit Mohanty, who was instrumental in collecting evidence tracing rasagolla's origin to the Puri temple.
"Our rasagolla is totally different from that of Bengal. Bengal's rasagolla came into existence in 1868, while the sweet originated here over 500 years ago. There is mention of rasagolla in the Dani Ramayan written by Balaram Das," he asserted.
Maintaining that for centuries devotees have offered rasagolla to Lord Jagannath on 'Niladri Bije', Mohanty said there should be no debate on its origin.
"Let Bengal enjoy its rasagolla and we ours," he said.
People across the state exchange rasagolla to celebrate the day, with sweet shops doing brisk business.
A special function was organised at Pahala, a village along the highway between Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, where a slew of sweet shops specialising in rasagolla are located.
Noted sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik shared a photo of his creation celebrating the occasion on X.
"Jai Jagannath... On the pious occasion of #NiladriBije, Mahaprabhu Jagannath, while returning to Ratna Singhasana, offers Rasagola to #MahaLakshmi. My sand art at Puri beach in Odisha is for this unique ritual. #RasagolaDibasa," he said.