National
Odisha to apply for GI tag for ‘Odishara Rasogolla’ soon
Bhubaneswar, Nov 15 (IANS) A day after West Bengal secured GI tag for ‘Banglar Rasogolla’, the Odisha government on Wednesday said it would apply for the tag for ‘Odishara Rasogolla’ soon.
“It has been decided to file an application for Odishara Rasogolla with the GI Registry. It is rooted in Jagannath culture,” said Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Department Secretary L.N. Gupta.
The decision to this effect was taken at a meeting chaired by Development Commissioner R. Balakrishnan.
The Odisha government had received flak from various quarters for not applying before the Geographical Indication (GI) Registry even though a report substantiating the origin of the sweet has been prepared by historians and submitted before it.
Banglar Rasogolla has been registered with GI on the West Bengal government’s application. This only provides the GI Tag to the ‘Banglar Rasogolla’ specific to West Bengal.
“GI registration for Banglar Rasogolla in no way affects claim for GI tag for Odishar Rasogolla. The Bengal and Odisha variants are different in colour, texture, taste, juice content, and method of manufacturing,” said Gupta.
The Odishara Rasogolla is softer and light brown whereas Bangalar Rasogolla has white and cream colour. The syrup used in both the variants is also different.
GI Chennai Senior Examiner Prasant Kumar said Odisha can always apply for its Rasogolla with proper documents to substantiate its claims on the origin of Odia sweet.
“We have not received any application or documents from the Odisha government. It can always apply to claim the origin of the sweet in Odisha,” said Prasant Kumar.
There are historical mentions of Rasogolla’s links to traditions and practices associated with Lord Jagannath. Rasogolla has been traditionally offered as bhog to Goddess Lakshmi at the Jagannath temple in Puri as per ritual known as ‘Bachanika’ — part of the “Niladri Bije” observance, which marks the return of the deities to the temple after the Ratha Yatra Festival. This practice has existed for centuries.
Geographical Indication tag is an intellectual property identifier for a product. GI is a name or sign used on certain products, which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin — a town, a region, or a country, and possesses qualities or reputation that are due to that origin.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.