(π.XXνι...) This ceremony is held on the "Dyut Dwitia' or the “Vratri Dwitia” day after the Kali Puja ; and the immense concourse of Bindus of all ranks, ages and sexes that gathers in the palatial residence of Sri Madan Mohun, testifies, even to those who do not know aught of it, to its significance and importance. People even come from a distance of miles to the temple that day on foot and in all sotrts of convey. ances to be blessed not by doing obeisance to the Image but by partaking of the 'anna' or cooked rice, doled out freely and unstintedly to all who come, as the “prosad” of the God, There is nothing in the west which g n be likened to this-this feeding of many thousands, We have had feeding of the poor on a large scale on several occasions. But grand as the sight was, there is a world of difference between such acts of individual or national charity and the “Annakut' of Babu Vehari Lala Mitra and other members of the Bagbazar Mitra family. In the one case it is only the lower classes, who live by begging or belong to the lowest classes of society and have therefore no objection to taking rice cooked wherever it might be. Indeed, it is well-known how one famine relief works and kitchens connected therewith, great difficulty often arises in respect of feeding the higher castes, even when these are starving, In the case of the "Annakut' at the Maidan Mohun temple Hindus of all dénominations eongregate in their thousands to partake glidly of the fare
