Tiranga Burfi – 82 years old and still going strong in Varanasi
According to local historians, the tri-colored sweet was evolved after the British government banned unfurling of the Tiranga
A stone’s throw from the famous Sankat Mochan temple, is located the local market –Thathehri Bazaar. Known as a brassware centre, the market, a favourite with tourists, also deals with intricate minakari accessories, clay pots, copper bowls and handmade rugs.
Besides, the market is also known for its iconic sweet shops and for their sweets that are famous across the world. Of these shops, Ram Mishthan Bhandaar–one of the oldest sweet shops in the market - holds a distinct position.
And, among the iconic sweets which this 183-year-old shop serves, the Tiranga Burfi is perhaps the most famous one. Owners of Ram Mishthan Bhandaar claim to be the only shop to have evolved Tiranga Burfi in 1942, which they say was an initiative of their great grandfather in order to fuel the freedom movement in their own way. The demand for Tiranga Burfi is still strong and on occasions like Republic Day and I-Day, it triples.
Varun Gupta, one of the owners of Ram Mishthan Bhandar said the sweet is around 82-years-old, when the Quit India Movement was at its peak.
“My grandfather, Madan Gopal Gupta, made the sweet, sending a strong message to the British Government. The initiative was also appreciated by the freedom fighters as it helped make the movement successful here in Varanasi,” said Gupta while highlighting the legacy of the ‘tri-colour burfi’ which he said is also referred as Rashtriya Burfi.
There are other stories related to Tiranga Burfi. According to local historians, the tri-colored sweet was evolved after the British government banned unfurling of the Tiranga. It was then that the sweet was evolved and was used to send a message across. Soon, the sweet caught the fancy of other sweet makers in the city and gradually it became a common sweet in almost all sweet shops in Kashi.
He said, this particular sweet was much appreciated by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who relished it on her election tour in Varanasi. Shop owners say that the original tricolour Burfi used to be prepared by layering sweetened paste of pistachios, cashews and almonds coupled with saffron, which used to give a tricolour formation.
But the owners have also invented a cheaper version of the sweet in order to make it affordable. Other than the traditional version, currently, the sweet is prepared from condensed milk coloured in food colour in order to give it a tricolour.