Early Years in Village Retreats Once in a long which Humanity puts forth a rare flower of exquisite Beauty & fragrance. It cannot be said to teach, to have a message; it lives for only one purpose, to demonstrate the existence of a Power, that is ever at work, creating by its transforming influence Beauty out of ugliness, Love out of strife. Such a Power is Sri Ma Anandamayee. May she bring peace & harmony into this world of strife. The House of Ramakanta Bhattacharya: All Brahmin families of those times were universally looked up to by virtue of thrir saintly ways of living. Ramakanta Bhattach-arya, his brothers & sons were specially respected for their sch-olarship & otherworldliness. The heads of this family were recognised as sabha-pandits (court priests) of the Maharaja of Tripura. Their cottage was the focal point for neighbourly gath-erings irrespective of caste or religion. The outer reception-room was nearly always full of visitors who came for various purposes; some seeking advice, some withquestions regarding religious rites, others with major or minor problems needing resolutions &, lastly, just friends. The big cottage was surrounded by cultivated gardens & hedg-es. There were two ponds beyoud the gardens & plenty of fruit trees. Whatever came in feom the fields, gardens or orchards was first dedicated to God. The daily worship of the family deitied was the main business of the day. Throughout the year, many festivals were celebrated with great care & circmspectio- n. The most important was the annual Durga Puja in asvin (Sep-tembre/October). With Bengalis, it is the yearly renewal of a deep-seated belife in the legend that the Goddesscomes to visit her erstwhile earthly home for three days. The whole of Bengal prepares for this advent with music, flowers, incense, sweets, each household doing whatever lies in its power to add to the festivities.