For this reason he has to incur lavish expenditure on the feast, so as to avoid criticism or dissatisfaction among his guests.

These consider themselves at liberty to comment freely on the character and quality of the provisions offered to them.

In most castes the feast cannot begin until all the guests have assembled; the Maheshri Banias and one or two other castes are distinguished by the fact that they allow the guests at the _pangat_ or caste feast to begin eating as they arrive.

Those who bear the host a grudge purposely stay away, and he has to run to their houses and beg them to come, so that his feast can begin.

When the feast has begun it was formerly considered a great calamity if any accident should necessitate the rising of the guests before its conclusion.