Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/676

Rh the construction of a building for the main Institution. By the end of 1886, the construction was completed, and in January of the following year, the College was removed to the new building, at Sankar Ghose's Lane. The purchase of the site and the erection of the house cost him about a lakh and a half of rupees.

In 1885, the Metropolitan Institution stood first at the B. A. Examination. In this year, he opened a Branch Metropolitan School at Barabazar, and in 1887, another Branch was opened at Bowbazar.

On the New year's day of the year 1880, Vidyasagr was honoured by Government with the title of C. I. E. He was always averse to titular distinctions of Government, and was, therefore, not inclined to receive the title. After much persuasion, he was induced to accept it, but he did not attend the presentation Darbar to receive the Sanad. The words inscribed on the grant were:—"Grant of the dignity of a Companion of the order of Indian Empire to Pundit Iswara Chandra Vidyasgar."

Before that, the Government of Sir Richard Temple, a Lieutenant Governor of Bengal, had granted him, on the 1st January, 1877, a certificate of honour. It ran as follows:'—"To Pundit Isvara Chandra Vidyasagara in recognition of his earnestness as leader of the widow marriage movement, and position as leader of the more advanced portion of the Indian Community."