According to Baba's orders, he left for England with Margaret and Esther, sailing from Bombay four days later.
On Tuesday, 1 January 1929, meetings were held about the financial affairs of the ashram. (A loan had been taken from Nusserwan, but he required some payment.) Buasaheb complained, "There are so many in the mandali these days and the activities being less and less, they do nothing but eat. To reduce expenses it is advisable to reduce their number."
Baba replied, "Don't worry; everything will be all right. Last year it was the Prem Ashram boys who were crying, and this year it will be we who are weeping!"
Baba started giving out hints that he would soon close the school, and the next day, nine of the boys were sent home. He then announced that he and a select group of men and boys would be leaving on a walking tour soon. Meanwhile, after Toka, Rustom and his wife and children had moved to Nasik. Since Baba was to go on tour, the women mandali were sent to Nasik on the 13th, where arrangements for their stay were made in a separate house in Rustom and Freiny's compound.
Although about ten of the boys had left, it was a shock when Chhota Baba, the favorite of all, declared that he too was leaving. None of the mandali had anticipated this, though for several days Chhota Baba had been speaking of going somewhere else. The mandali had taken his remarks lightly, but this time he was serious and decided to leave. Surprisingly, Baba did not try to dissuade him. However, the school was closed in the afternoon on 3 January to give him a befitting farewell. Raosaheb and Chanji made speeches praising Chhota Baba, and he was given a new coat and chappals. He left for the station in a tonga with Borker to catch the five o'clock train. Raosaheb followed by bicycle. In the evening the staff and boys waited by the railroad tracks at Meherabad to wave as his train passed.
That night, while with the mandali, Baba revealed, "The time for a world upheaval is at hand. I shall speak out to mankind and make my voice heard and felt throughout the world."
Padri and Adi had been in Bombay arranging Meredith Starr and the ladies' passage to England. While returning to Meherabad on 5 January (with Gulmai), they were startled to see Chhota Baba walking on the Dhond Road.