Origins of the Rosogolla

While at a Bengali cultural event, I mentioned to other attendees that the birthplace of the rosogolla (or rasagolla or rasgulla) was Orissa and not West Bengal, but nobody was impressed with my sweet talk. Rosogollas are sweet, plump, and juicy delights of non-female form. It is the favourite sweet or "mishti" of Bengalis and many other Indians. It is the state of West Bengal that is generally associated with this treat. During my days with Satyam, a coworker from Orissa informed me that in reality the rosogolla was created in his home state. I was shocked by his statement and proceeded to verify this information from secondary sources.

I checked the usually reliable centralized collection of mass knowledge known as Wikipedia. Sure enough, what was written there was in line with my colleague's comments: "The rasagolla was invented in the state of Orissa, where it has been a traditional sweet dish for centuries. The recipe for making rasagollas eventually spread from Orissa to neighbouring West Bengal. This was during the Bengal renaissance when Brahmin cooks from Orissa, especially from Puri, were routinely employed in richer Bengali households. They were famed for their culinary skills and commonly referred to as Ude Thakurs (Oriya brahmin-cooks). As a result, many Oriya delicacies got incorporated into the Bengali kitchen".

It goes on to explain that a man named Nobin Chandra Das of Bagbazar, Kolkata "modified the original recipe to extend the shelf life of the highly perishable sweet" and made it more marketable to the masses. Looking for further verification on the origins of the sweet, I checked Yahoo! Answers and the results were the same:
"By the time the recipe reached Nobin Das (which was either in 1868 or a few years earlier through another confectioner, Haradhan Moira), it was already a traditional item in Orissa - standard fare in the cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, and of course in Puri."

Jayanta Mishra mentioned that "One can easily see how the popular misconception that Rasagulla originated in Bengal arose. It gained nationwide popularity only via Kolkata, with its better marketing infrastructure. Besides, one must not forget that when Rasagulla became popular, the state of Orissa was itself a part of the province of Bengal under the British". The only related article of interest yielded by Google Scholar was on the prevalence of coronary heart disease in Kolkata due to the eating habits and sedentary lifestyle of its inhabitants. For true lovers of the sweet delight, it does not matter who invented the rosogolla but that someone did.

Carving the Spirit Pole

My artistic talents came to the forefront when I was invited to participate in the carving of the Spirit Pole for the Cowichan 2008 North American Indigenous Games. Touring the whole province, the 20 foot long red cedar log will be transformed into a totem pole by master carver Carey Newman and hundreds of others who will also carve a portion in various communities throughout British Columbia. Once finished, the Spirit Pole will be unveiled at the opening ceremony of the Games and then remain in Cowichan Valley after the Games end. Taken from a sacred village within Stanley Park, the cedar tree was donated by the Squamish Nation. I was instructed on the proper technique which which to use the carving tool. With the desired design pattern already marked on the wood sculpture, I skillfully scraped away a few layers of the wood and carved a moment in history.

*****

"The way to move forward is by honouring the past and reflecting on the present." - Carey Newman

Bridges That Unite

Accompanied by an Ismaili friend of mine, I ventured to the Roundhouse Community Centre in Vancouver's Yaletown district to take a look at the Bridges That Unite exhibit that was on display for a limited time only. After being greeted by an usher, volunteers led us through each stage of the exhibit and explained the work of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and what Canada has to offer to the world at large. AKDN is a non-denominational organization that restores sites of cultural significance, provides educational opportunities for people in rural areas, and is involved in a host of other activities. I was not aware of their wide reaching activities, so this exhibit provided a valuable learning opportunity through the use of guides, multimedia, and physical artifacts.

*****

"Canada has succeeded in an area where the developing world has one of its greatest needs: How do you build pluralist civil society in the developing world? Look at Africa. Look at Asia. What is one of the characteristics? The inability of different groups of people to live together in peace in a constructive environment to build civil society." - Aga Khan

Italian and Greek Days

June 22, 2008 - A sunny Vancouver day meant the crowds were out in full force for a handful of open air festivals. After taking a quick stroll through the Sapperton Days Festival to warm up, I headed for the Italian Cultural Centre, with singers and dancers on stage, food stalls, and a hall full of people watching the Italy versus Spain Euro 2008 quarterfinal match. There was also a Lamborghini and Vespa on display, and a miniature racetrack where toddlers could drive around in red Ferrari coloured go-karts. Paralympic medal winner Donovan Tildesley was on hand raising awareness and signing autographs.


I did not eat at the Italian food stalls, holding out for some Greek instead. In conjunction with BC's 150th birthday anniversary celebrations, Greek Day was taking place in Kitsilano. A large portion of West Broadway was closed down to vehicular traffic, allowing throngs of people to walk about freely on the street. Arts and crafts, children's activities, live performances, appearances by politicians such as Premier Gordon Campbell, Mayor Sam Sullivan, and Attorney General Wally Oppal, all played second fiddle to the main event - the food and wine. I had pork souvlaki and loukoumades (Greek mini donuts) to satisfy my appetite, before heading home.


ARNABabe Note: Both the Italian and Greek female audiences have been underrepresented in the quest for the ARNABride. They share many important traits with Indians, from a strong sense of family and community to a love of food and culture.

Summerbeats 2008

First scheduled for Mother's Day and then rescheduled two more times, Summerbeats finally took place on June 22, 2008 at the Orpheum Theatre. The audience was full of energy and participated fully in the festivities, singing along and dancing on several occasions. With a balcony seat, our view was only partially obscured by the silhouettes of men with disproportionately large heads and women with disproportionately large noses who insisted on walking in and out of the concert hall throughout the night.


A packed roster featuring Atif Aslam, Kailesh Kher, Richa Sharma, and Amanat Ali allowed for around 45 minutes of stage time per performer. Since the show began half an hour late, headliner Atif Aslam's performance was cut short since he came on stage at the very end. My fan girls momentarily switched their allegiance to the singer, and chants of "Atif! Atif! Atif!" echoed throughout the hall. There was no grand finale that had the audience on its feet as was the case with all the other singers. Amanat Ali's youthful energy, Richa Sharma's professionalism, Kailesh Kher's soulful Sufi melodies, and Atif's Aslam's stylish renditions provided something for everyone.