Rath Yatra 2026: Authentic Chappan Bhog

Rasabali Recipe

The hint is in the name itself, which roughly translates to "surrounded by sweetness and sweet in itself." That is rasabali, one of the 56 dishes that are part of Chappan Bhog, offered to Lord Jagannath at the Puri Temple. While the sweet dish feels like it has been a part of Puri Rath Yatra celebrations forever, which perhaps it was, its origin lies elsewhere. Rasabali goes back to Ichhapur, Kendrapara, in Odisha, far from the coastal city of Puri. The sweet was created and offered to the deity Lord Baladevjew, of the over 200-year-old Sree Baladevjew Temple. As for what rasabali consists of, it has two components – one is the flattened chhena balls and the other is the rabri or the thickened milk, perfumed with cardamom and saffron. The sweet dish is made with whole cow milk, which makes it the perfect celebratory dessert for Rath Yatra 2026, as the richness of the milk and ghee comes through quite well. It is as integral to this particular festive occasion as jalebi and rabri are to Diwali, or nolengur sandesh to Bengali winters. While the ‘ras’ or juice part might make it seem like it is a cousin of the rasgulla, or as the Odias prefer, rasagola, it is hardly so. The similarities end with the soaking part; both sweets are soaked in a liquid, but rasabali soaks in rabri, which is poles apart from the sugar syrup that rasgulla soaks in. Rasabali is inherently richer owing to its use of pure milk and the fact that you cannot buy the discs but have to make them yourself.