Odisha Rasgulla
- It’s a sweet made of chhena (cottage cheese) cooked in sugar syrup using the principle of caramelisation of sugar (caramelization is the browning of sugar, a process used extensively in cooking for the resulting sweet nutty flavor and brown colour).
- Odisha Rasgulla is associated with Puri Jagannath Temple.
- The reference of rasgulla is found in the late 15th-century Odia Ramayana written by Balaram Das.
- A religious script named “Ajodhya Kanda” gives elaborate descriptions of chhena and chhena‐based products including Rasagola.
- ‘Bali Jatra’ a poem written by Damodar Pattanayak is an eye‐witness of Cuttack’s famous, historic fair, Bali Jatra (Journey to Bali Island of Indonesia) and mentioned that sweets shops were looking attractive in presence of Rasgulla and other sweets.
Kolhapuri Chappal
- These are hand-made chappals
- Their history can be traced back to the 12th century King Bijjal who ruled Bidar in Karnataka.
- King Bijjal’s prime minister Vishwaguru Basavanna wanted to create a casteless society and remove the stigma associated with the cobbler community.
- This community embraced Lingayat faith and used its creative skills to start producing footwear known equally for its ruggedness and regal bearing.
- Brand Kolhapuri came into being only in the beginning of 20th century when the footwear began to be traded in Kolhapur.
- Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj (1874-1922) of Kolhapur encouraged its production and 29 tanning centres were opened during his rule in Kolhapur.
- The GI tag will open large markets – both domestic and international – to the artisans producing Kolhapuris in Kolhapur, Solapur, Sangli and Satara districts of Maharashtra and Dharwad, Belgaum, Bagalkot and Bijapur districts of Karnataka
