Rossogolla/Rasgulla is an Indian syrupy dessert was invented by Nobin Chandra Das - “Columbus of Rossogolla” or “Father of Rasgulla...
Rossogolla/Rasgulla is an Indian syrupy dessert was
invented by Nobin Chandra Das - “Columbus of Rossogolla” or “Father of
Rasgulla. (Rossogolla is prepared from
ball-shaped dumplings of chhanna (an Indian cottage cheese) and semolina dough,
cooked in light syrup made of sugar. This is done until the syrup soaks the
dumplings). Nobin Chandra Das was born in 1845 in Bagbazar in north Kolkata,
(then known as Sutanotty) India. He initiated a new era in Bengali sweet
industry through his unique sweetmeats for the Bengali palate. His
innovation creates a significant and eternal undying component in Bengali
cuisine which is now identical with Bengali identity- Rossogolla.
The second half of the 19th century was a time of
Bengali Renaissance with cultural, intellectual, ethical, divine and
metaphysical developments that culminated from literature to science; from Food
to culture, every phase of the Bengali identity was in a state of innovative
flux. The escalating spirit of this period also had its impact on the world of
confectionery with fresh inspiration from a virtuoso Bengali confectioner. The
man who brought Sweet Renaissance through his unstoppable attempt to contribute
a trinket to Bengali cuisine was Nobin Chandra Das. Nobin Chandra transformed
the legacy of Bengali sweets with "Rossogolla" - which was to be his
magnum opus. It was the ultimate delicacy of that time which was affordable by
every part and parcel of society.
His father was a sugar trader, who died a few months
earlier he was born. His demise put the family in great trouble with tough times and his childhood was spent
in poverty. Nobin decided to become a sweet maker and create his own masterpiece. Maximum sweets made at the time were either
"Sondesh/Sandesh" (a delicacy exclusively for the affluent, which was
remolded and popularized by Bhim Chandra Nag) or sweets made of "dal"
(lentils) or flour from several grains. Choices were inadequate and innovation
in confectionery was rare, if not non-existent. Nobin's family did not take his decision
generously of becoming a sweetmeat seller, due to the social constraints of the
times. They disrespectfully referred him as the "Moira" (a profession
not held in high esteem in 19th century Bengal). He was trying to come up with
a new sweet for a number of years before he came up with it. Through all these
years of struggle, his wife was the continuous support and inspiration. After
years of hard work and multiple failures, his labors lastly paid off when he
could make a perfectly shaped sweetmeat out of fragmented clumps of Indian
cottage cheese known specifically as "Chhanna". From its crumpled consistency and scrubby
binding capacity to perfectly consistent round sweet that was both spongy and
succulent with a distinctive and unique taste, through a novel method of
processing the "Chhanna" in boiling sugar syrup, Nobin Chandra named
this creation the "Rossogolla" and a unique elite and never dying
gastronomic legend was born. This invention makes him famous in West Bengal.
Instead, to getting patent on the sweet (Rossogolla) Nobin Chandra taught other
confectioners, the process to prepare Rossogolla.
His creation and innovation brought
him to the spotlight and placed him between the creams of society. Nobin
Chandra's confections were also hot favorites with the monks of the Ramkrishna
Mission. Rakhal Maharaj (Swami Brahmananda), the first president of the Mission
and a close friend, intimate and guide of Swami Vivekananda, was very fond of
Nobin Chadra’s Rossogolla. The "Dedo" Sondesh was very favorite of
Sri Sarada Maa (wife Sri Ramkrishna Deb). Till now, this item is sent on a daily basis from the Kolkata factory of K. C. Das as an offering to Sri Sarada
Maa. Rabindranath Tagore also falls in the group of Nabin Chandra’s
appreciator.
He was the pioneer to include
natural fruit pulp in sweets. He was the
blessed creator of the "Aata (custard apple) Sondesh" and
"Kathaal (jackfruit) Sondesh." Another inquisitive instance of his inventive
creation was he transformed the leftover, broken or crumbled balls of casein/
Chhanna/ Indian cottage cheese from the
process of making "Rossogolla". He mixed these crumbs with
"kheer" and added pistachios, raisins, and saffron to make a unique
kind of "Sondesh". He named it "Baikuntha Bhog," about
which it was said the taste of this sweet is so heavenly that it accurately fit
to be served at Vaikunth, the residence of the great God Vishnu.
Another gem was Abaar
Khaabo" ("I want to eat it again!") sweet. “Abaar Khaabo" ("I
want to eat it again!"). The reason behind to innovate the sweet was Maharani Swarnamoyee Devi, the dowager
of the house of Cossimbazar, got bored with the available sweets in the market
at that time. Then Nobin Chandra whipped up this delicious sweet that made the
old lady exclaim with joy. Nobin Chandra was a thoroughly unorthodox person far
ahead of his time. After he developed the art of making Rossogolla, he diverted
his devotion to the flawlessness of Sandesh and he succeeded in making it into a smooth paste and
named it "Kastura".
Nobin Chandra left his legacy to
his son 1930. He introduced the
Canned Rossogolla, which was the first and only canned dessert
manufactured in the country at that time. Krishna Chandra died in 1934 left
the responsibility to maintain and expand the family legacy in the hands of his
son, Sarada Charan Das.
Krishna Chandra Das (1869-1934). Krishna Chandra enlarged the legacy of
his father's genius in the art of Bengali sweetmeats. Strengthening the family
spirit of exploration and experimentation, he himself created new sweets such
as the "Rossomalai, another perennial favorite. To popularize the
"Rossomalai", Krishna Chandra established a new sweet shop at
Jorasanko in 
The innovative and enthusiastic
Sarada Charan promptly expanded the family profession and established a company
named after his father “K.C. Das Private Limited". He established number
of shops in Kolkata, initiated with the shop at Esplanade East under his
father's name in 1935. The habit of innovation continued with Sarada Charan,
innovated sweets for diabetics named as “Amrita Kumbha Sondesh". He was
the pioneer of the "Sondesh Cake" and "Ice-cream Sondesh" which
help his family legacy to contend with Western confectionery products and dairy
desserts. Now K.C. Das Private limited continues as a widespread and renowned
brand throughout the nation.
In 2017, the GI Registry granted
Geographical Indication status to the dessert of worldwide fame. In the entire
proceedings before the Intellectual Property India there is not a single
mentioning of Rasgulla but Rossogolla and Rossogolla, the legacy was integral
and cherished.
For years, the Das family was known as the first family of the state’s
sweetmeat industry mainly due to its claim on the parentage on Rossogolla. The
residence of the Das family on 532 Rabindra Sarani is – no wonder it named as
Rossogolla Bhavan.
Down the decades, Bengalis have taken immense pride in the spongy sweet.
Almost every celebrity who visited West Bengal – from Fidel Castro to Diego
Maradona – was offered this signature sweet during state dinners. During
different Eras, Ups and downs, Heartrate and Love, War and Peace Rossogolla
able to maintain its grace and its creator’s beautiful intellectual mind
appreciated as “Work of Art “.
COMMENTS